Detective Mewtwo
by Starling 12
Summary: Mewtwo is searching for his remaining cells. Tim is bonding with his father and trying to be a detective. Both think they don't need a partner, but when their paths cross again, they discover that the only way they can solve this case...is together. Chapters switch between Tim and Mewtwo's POV.
1. Chapter 1

_I do not own Pokémon or __Pokémon: Detective Pikachu_

Chapter One: Tim

Tim was standing in a tunnel, bright lights shining through directly ahead of him. He could hear the clangor of noise beyond it, feel the vibration beneath his feet, and sense the anticipatory energy in the air like a thousand Charges. This was it. His dreams ever since childhood. He took a deep breath in, and then stepped forward towards the light. He walked, his steps steady and sure, through the tunnel, getting closer and closer to the outside. When he passed the threshold, the abrupt change from entrenching darkness to stark light blinded him for a moment. He paused, fists clenched, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the sights before him.

He was surrounded by screaming crowds, thousands of people besieging him on all sides as they buzzed with excitement like a swarm of Beedrill. They were all in semi-darkness, like he had been in the tunnel, but now he stood in the spotlight, on the battlefield. Trimmed grass bent beneath his shoes, lines of white paint marked the boundaries. He allowed his gaze to fall on his opponent across the field, a trainer in red who looked just as ready for this as he was.

The other trainer was tossing his Pokéball in the air, up and down, up and down. But as he met Tim's eyes, he drew the Pokéball back and then pitched it onto the field. There was a flash of light where it landed, like an Electrode's Self-Destruct, and then an Aggron burst forth. The audience roared with glee and stamped their feet in thunderous claps. The Aggron's steel armor caught the rays of the spotlights as it lashed its tail and bared its fangs. Its horns and spikes gleamed with pristine sharpness.

Now it was Tim's turn, Tim's time. He took out his Pokéball, gripping it tightly. Inside, he could feel the warm energy of the living creature within, just as excited and ready for the battle as he was. This was his Pokémon. His partner, his friend, his companion. They had journeyed through so much together, he trusted it. He drew it back, and then, with all his might, flung it onto the field. There was a burst of light, and then, out of it came—

_"Pika-CHU!"_Tim lurched up in his bed, squealing not at all like a newborn Eevee as his father's Pikachu shocked him. Still partially in his dream, he thought the battle had somehow gone south and now the Pokémon were striking at _him._He struggled, getting tangled in his blankets helplessly for a moment before he realized he was in his room.

Still trying to catch his breath, Tim turned to reproachfully look at Pikachu. The little Electric Mouse Pokémon was politely trying to smother his giggles as he watched Tim make a fool of himself with large, innocently adorable brown eyes. Pikachu was standing on his bedside table, having pushed his door open and bounded into Tim's room as he pleased.

"Was the shock really necessary?" Tim demanded. He doubted it had been more than a little static shock, but still, there was a horde of _nonpainful_ways Pikachu could have played as his alarm. Shouting, for example, or jostling him.

Pikachu waved his lightning-bolt tail back and forth playfully before he jumped onto Tim's bed. Before he could object, the Pokémon nestled himself against Tim's stomach, snuggling into his nightshirt. Tim instinctively put a hand on Pikachu's soft yellow fur, massaging the Pokémon's ears how he liked.

"Has anyone ever been able to stay mad at you for more than five minutes?" Tim asked aloud.

In response, Pikachu rolled over, presenting his belly for rubbing while blinking his twinkling eyes at Tim.

"I'll take that as a no."

"Tim! Are you up yet?"

"Yeah!" Tim shouted back. He turned his face back to look down at Pikachu. In a normal voice, he asked, "And who's fault is that?" before he rolled the Pokémon off his lap. Pikachu whined as he fell into the space between Tim's bed and the wall, stuck for a moment before he struggled out of it. Tim overturned his covers and began getting dressed as Pikachu searched the blankets for his detective cap, which had fallen off.

Once both Tim and Pikachu had their proper attires, they strode out of the room to Tim's Dad, Harry. Harry had already set them out breakfast, and was blowing on a steamy cup of coffee absently while he looked over a newspaper. Pikachu bounded up on the table and cheerfully began plopping Pokémon food pellets into his mouth. Tim drew out the chair across from his Dad and began to eat his cereal, his Dad already having poured in the milk for him.

"Morning, Kid," his Dad said, setting down the newspaper and digging his spoon into his own cereal. Many grown men would not eat Chocolate Charmander Cheerios, much less buy the box that had a toy inside, but Harry showed no loss of pride as he took a bite, and chocolate-tinted milk dripped down his chin. "How'd you sleep?"

"Great," Tim said, shaking off the memory of his dream. Every kid dreamed of becoming a famous Pokémon trainer, maybe even a Pokémon Master, and he had been no different when he was younger. Those dreams had vanished once his Mom had died, and he had no idea why they were back now. Perhaps his time in Ryme City, with Pokémon around every corner? Or maybe something to do with his time with his Dad and Pikachu?

He glanced at Pikachu, who was now drinking his own cup of coffee, because of course Harry had poured him some. It was strange how he had gotten so incredibly used to Pikachu talking to him. It had been three weeks since the PCL disaster, as he liked to think of it, and he still expected Pikachu to start shouting out-of-the-water theories about miscellaneous cases. Which was beyond ridiculous, because the Pikachu _he_had known was on the other side of the table, his father. Tim supposed he had just gotten used to having a little buddy, his own companion.

His own Pokémon.

He was still overjoyed to have his Dad back, though. For so many years he had told himself he didn't need his father, that his Dad had left _him _behind. But in these short weeks, he was already certain that he had made the right choice by staying in Ryme City, with his Dad. They had gone shopping and remodeled his room so it no longer looked like it was for a ten-year-old, his Dad showed him around Ryme City, and taught him more about being a detective. Pikachu had taken an instant liking to him and he had to admit, the fast-paced city life had its perks.

Tim turned his wandering mind back to the conversation. "What's in the news?" Tim waved his spoon towards the paper.

Harry slid it over to him. "Your reporter friend wrote an article about all the trainers coming to Ryme City," his Dad said. "Great for a lot of businesses, but also causing a lot of trouble. She did a good job covering both the pros and cons."

Harry smiled as Tim choked on his cereal when he saw Lucy's chosen headline: _"Mewtwo's Attraction."_From the extremely minimal time Tim had spent with Mewtwo, he knew the prideful Pokémon would _not _appreciate that word choice. But Mewtwo had likely already skipped town and would never know about this.

Whether Mewtwo was still here or not, his presence had thrown Ryme City into the world's spotlight. For two decades, Mewtwo had been a rumor—an artificial Pokémon, supposedly the most powerful living creature on this planet? He had first been spotted in Kanto, but no one knew exactly where he had come from. Everyone _knew_about him, there were plenty of witnesses here and there, but there was no solid _proof._Until, that is, Howard Clifford had flown Mewtwo's body above a public parade and declared he was going to change the whole world, and then proceeded to display the legendary Pokémon's almost unconquerable psychic powers.

Although that hadn't exactly been Mewtwo,per se, it had still been _Mewtwo._Scads of Pokémon trainers, researchers, and just people in general had come to Ryme City from all over the world for a glimpse, or more, of the legendary Pokémon. The scary thing was that some of those people had succeeded; there were quite a few reported sightings, even some photographs and videos. Yet as the last confirmed witness had been almost a week ago, Tim was starting to hope that the dangerous creature had finally moved on.

And now he _really_hoped, so that Mewtwo wouldn't have to see Lucy's facepalm-worthy title.

"Why would she do that?" Tim muttered.

Harry was still smiling mischievously. "I like her," he said, taking another sip of his coffee. "She's spunky."

"Can Mewtwo even _use_the move Attract?" Tim asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer, unless it was _no._

"No idea," Harry said with a shrug. "I didn't think Mewtwo could put people's souls into Pokémon, but that happened." He leaned over and scratched Pikachu behind the ears, who chirped pleasantly.

"She's really taken to being a reporter," Tim sighed. Lucy's confidence while being an intern had doubled once she became a reporter, slipping into the role without a Shadow Sneak of a doubt. Her dedication to the role was nonstop, and she had done an excellent job of reporting everything that had happened with Howard Clifford, Mewtwo, and R. Even with how busy she was, however, she still managed to steal a couple hours out of the last three weeks to hang out with Tim and his Dad. They grabbed coffee, or went to the park, or ate here. She yammered on and on about all she was doing and all her theories and conspiracies and this and that.

"Like a Goldeen to water," Harry agreed. He reached for the box of Chocolate Charmander Cheerios and pulled out the little plastic bag inside. After struggling with it for a moment, he triumphantly released…a small toy Chespin.

"Chespin?!" Harry cried, aghast. He held the small toy in the palm of his hand. "They gave me a _Chespin?"_He looked at the box accusingly. "How dare you."

Tim pursed his lips and smiled at the sheer horror on his father's face that he hadn't gotten a good toy from a cereal box. "Chespin's cool."

Harry looked at him as if he were stupid as a Rhyhorn. "Chespin's not even a fire-type—not even from the same _region_as Charmander._"_

"But it _is_a starter Pokémon," Tim pointed out reasonably.

Grumbling, Harry set the little Chespin down on the table and shoved a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. Pikachu hopped over and picked up the Chespin curiously, but he quickly became uninterested and set it back down.

"So what are we doing today, besides being disappointed by cereal?" Tim asked lightly. "Any new cases?" His Dad had been letting him come along on cases for the past three weeks. Most of them were light, but still enjoyable, and were teaching Tim the fundamentals of investigation.

Harry glared at him for a moment before releasing a heavy sigh of mournful acceptance. "Actually, you might be staying behind for this one."

"What?" Tim sat up. "Why?"

"It's pretty serious," Harry said. He scooped up another bite of his chocolate cereal. As he chewed, he kept talking with his mouthful full. "Dare's been an in'fease of re'borts of ra'bid, bur'ble-eyed Pokémons aroun'da city," Harry swallowed, thankfully saving Tim from having another involuntary lesson in mouthful-ese.

Tim tensed a little. "The R chemical?"

Harry nodded. "It could all just be remains of the balloons—Mewtwo handled that, but we don't really know if he got it all. We also have no idea how much of the stuff Clifford Enterprises had." Harry clapped his hands. "So! I'm going to find out what's what."

"Why can't I go with you?" Tim asked, confused.

Harry took a sip of his coffee for a long moment. Then he sighed. "I need to go to the illegal battle stadium at the docks," he admitted finally. "That's a good place to get information, but it's not the safest."

Tim scrounged up his face. "You and I went there before, and we were fine!"

Harry scoffed. "'We were fine'? We both almost got trampled by a Charizard, and released a cloud of R into a crowded room. That was _not_'fine.'"

"That was you too—" Tim argued.

"Yes, me with amnesia and no ability to fight," Harry interrupted.

Tim leaned more onto the table, undeterred. "Still you. It's dangerous, yeah, but that's all the more reason I should come. I've been there before, I can help."

Harry watched Tim for a minute, and Tim could see the internal argument going on in his Dad's eyes. Adapting to be a father suddenly, especially to a son as old and independent as Tim was, wasn't easy.

"Pika, pi…" Pikachu whispered nervously. Then he hopped over to Tim's side of the table and turned to Harry.

Harry sighed. "It seems I've been outvoted. Fine, all right, you can come."

"Great!" Tim leapt out of his seat. "Let's go right now!"

**[AUTHOR'S NOTES: Hello there readers, thanks for picking out my story! This idea spawned when my friends and I conversed "Man, that movie was so cool, but Tim should have a Pokémon partner, and now his partner is his Dad. The Pikachu really belongs to his Dad, and a big point of their bond was that they could talk to each other, so what partner will Tim have now?" And I said, "WELL what Pokémon do we know who can talk and is also very adamant about not having a partner and is already established in this universe?" And, also, he happens to be my favorite. **

**But I have to give you a couple little tidbits about this fic. 1). This story is a bit of an experiment for me writing-wise. I'm practicing with banter and other techniques, so some conversations may sound strange or awkward. I also want to expand my writing vocabulary, so there are a lot of big words here, especially in Mewtwo's chapters because Mewtwo is sophisticated and uses obscure dictionary words here. So if you learn a new word, that's what I wanted. If I used a word improperly, super sorry about that.**

**2). This fic contains references to _Mewtwo Strikes Back, Mewtwo Returns, _and _Mewtwo's Origins _(very small one for that)_._**

**3). I'm imaging Mewtwo's voice as the one from the first movie, done by Philip Bartlett/Jay Goede, and also Dan Green in _Mewtwo Returns_. That's just the voice I grew up with, and how I'll always see him. Feel free to use whatever head-voice you want.**

**4). Special thanks to Dippygamer64, who let me bounce off ideas and gave this story a quick look. Always good to have another set of eyes.**

**5). The cover image I used was uploaded by PokeDragon.**

**6). Rest easy! This story is COMPLETED. The last three chapters really fought me, but we're here now! More chapters coming soon.]**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Mewtwo

He had bled.

No Pokémon bled easily. Unlike the weakling humans who acted impregnable but snapped like twigs, Pokémon could endure far more damage. Their bones only broke under the most extreme pressure, their skin did not tear, nor burn, nor anything, except under truly dire circumstances. They could have fierce battles—doing so was part of their nature—and be fine the next day. It was rare for them to be _truly _hurt. Were Pokémon invincible? Certainly not. Did they bleed? Hardly ever.

And Mewtwo, the most powerful Pokémon in the world, had bled.

He had lost some of his cells.

It had not been in a battle he had lost. He had not been in an accident. No, he had been contained, in a sterile, enclosed location where cowardly human scientists had pierced his body and stolen his DNA. They had warped it into their 'R' chemical, with his cells as the primary ingredient. His DNA, with traces of the elusive Mew, as well as the most advanced genetic enhancement designs ever created. Evolutionary research, billions of different abilities and powers, and mixtures of ancient strength and groundbreaking discoveries were hidden in Mewtwo's blood. For such little cells, they could cause infinite damage.

A bolt of thunder nearby pulled Mewtwo out of his thoughts. He turned his head skyward to the darkened clouds above. Rain pelted him, the cold drops beating against his hard skin. He stood atop one of Ryme City's skyscrapers, its synthetic lights shining even through the downpour. Humans below scurried under umbrellas and raincoats, hurriedly trying to get where they were going and avoid the rain. They huddled inside their crowded buildings as if scared of the water. Wild and domesticated Pokémon alike retreated to their shelters to wait out the storm; even water-type Pokémon hesitated to go out in horrible weather such as this.

But this was exactly the kind of day Mewtwo had been waiting for. After two weeks in Ryme City, he had gotten entirely fed up with being gawked at, hunted, stalked, photographed, and broadcasted by more humans than he bothered to count. And each time he was caught on one of those abhorrent cameras, his image was sent across the city and glued to every screen they had.

Although fairly adept at finding isolated places to hide out and hole up in, Mewtwo was not used to doing so to this degree. Here, in the obstreperous city, humans were _everywhere._In their sky towers, underground in their trains, on the water, on the land, scuttling around like a hive of overcrowded Combee. And invariably, every human seemed fascinated with _him. _Which was unfortunate for Mewtwo, because he found almost every last one of them insufferable. He despised it when anyone, human or Pokémon, meddled their way into his life. He belonged in isolation.

Finally reaching his limit with it a week ago, he had stopped going out in daylight. During the day, he holed himself up anywhere he could find that didn't have humans, and waited until nighttime. While the city was always illuminated and there were always active humans at every hour, the darkness helped. Since he had started his newly nocturnal schedule, no human had spotted him clearly enough to recognize him. Adjusting to it was of some annoyance; there was, of course, more hours in the day than the night. And as he slept far less than the average human or Pokémon, he spent much of his new time merely waiting around. But even with all the spare time he had to rest, he was having an especially hard time sleeping after what had happened three weeks ago. He was better when being active, and it frustrated him that he was confined to nighttime.

But this weather? The rain in which the humans kept their eyes down and went out as little as possible? Just as good as the night. Done with his introspection, he would pick up his search again. Time to get to work.

He stepped off the building, feeling the briefest of freefalls as gravity tried to catch him before he escaped its hold and began his flight through the storm. Like always with his searches, he opened his mind to the city, feeling the lives and presences around him. A cacophony of voices shouted at him from all sides. He winced minutely, still not used to the psychic energy of the city. For him, an extremely powerful and sensitive psychic-type, a gathering of this magnitude was almost overwhelming. Voices, feelings, lives, all chittered and blared around him. He would say that the city wasn't his element, but he supposed nowhere was in the first place.

Mewtwo felt the pain of the noise but forced himself to endure it, and soon he began to adapt. It was like listening to a thousand Loudred at once. Both human and Pokémon minds dwelled here, though human minds were always noisier. With meticulous care, Mewtwo began to sort through the muddle and tried to detect his own aura among the city. The slight but potent aura that each cell possessed. He barely felt the rain, and lost his sense of time, as he flew across the air.

Mewtwo circled around a skyscraper and the Clifford Enterprises tower came into his view. He fought the nauseous twist in his stomach as vile, repugnant memories surged at him unexpectedly. Even from here, he could see the room where that…_human_had used him so abominably. He could still feel it as clearly as if it were happening now; the human forcing itself into Mewtwo's mind, pushing out his own consciousness. Mewtwo being _used,_just as he had been used before, ages ago. Being treated as a tool, just like in the past.

He convulsed at the mere thoughts, and swiftly pushed them from his mind. He could not afford to feel so much, especially not here. Weaker psychic-types might feel him and get curious. But there was also the matter that much of his power was drawn from his emotions. If he did not control his temper, sometimes it lashed out on its own. He had more than enough attention as it was.

In part to distract himself and in part to refocus, he centered his mind on his goal; searching the city. He _knew_there was more of the R chemical out there. An element drawn from his very cells…not only was it dangerous on its own, but if humans extracted his genes from it, they could clone _another_Mewtwo. He could never allow that. Another creation of himself would be dangerous in the hands of humans, and dangerous on its own. Within minutes of his own birth, Mewtwo had massacred his creators and destroyed an island. Within the first year of his life, he had attempted to wipe all humans and Pokémon from the earth, leaving only himself and his clones. In only the last few months, he had heard whispers from wild migrating Pokémon about a Mewtwo in Kalos, a rumor which kept him up some nights. He had no proof that this fear could become reality, but he dreaded that it might happen, just as he dreaded his own cells now. Another Mewtwo would only bring devastation, as he had.

Mewtwo slowed in the air as he sensed something that caught his interest. Amidst the psychic clangor of minds that was just as relentless as the physical storm he was in, he sensed a particular spike of anxiety that caught his attention. A sense of…fear. The mind did not feel like a human's, and as he focused more of his attention on it, he caught broken thoughts of _'mad'_and _'purple eyes.'_

That was enough for him to look more into it. Turning in the air with a wave of his tail, Mewtwo pursued the mind. It was closer to the ground, and for a moment he was worried it was perhaps in a crowd of humans. Or worse, partnered to a human. But he flew further, following the mind like a call, and soon spotted something below.

In a dark and narrow alley, a crevice between city buildings, a cluster of Joltik were gathered together on the lid of a dumpster. Electric-type Pokémon like them usually enjoyed a little thunderstorm, but these young Pokémon were so small that they might actually get hurt if they were struck with the full might of a lightning bolt.

Mewtwo descended to them slowly, but they noticed him the second he got near. At the sight of him, their yellow fur bristled and their several blue eyes widened in alarm.

Mewtwo lifted a hand before them. **_I mean you no harm._**

They chattered nervously, chittering their teeth together. At his assurance, they were no longer panicked, but still wary and ready to flee. Mewtwo glanced them over, trying to figure out which one was the mind he was searching for. But there was no point; they were _all_filled with fear of him and nothing else, pushing the other thoughts and memories to the subconscious. To find it, he would have to dig deeper. He would try asking first.

Mewtwo landed and spread his hands out to his sides, trying to appear peaceful. He explained himself slowly. **_I am searching for remnants of the chemical R, the compound that made Pokémon turn violent a few weeks ago. Can you tell me anything?_**

With synchronization that might have made a Dugtrio jealous, the horde of Joltick blinked their eyes at him. He waited with slightly strained patience, listening to them whisper amongst themselves.

_"What do you want with it?"_one of them squeaked up finally.

Mewtwo narrowed his eyes at the little thing, displeased that it questioned him rather than just given him what he wanted. **_It holds my cells. I must retrieve it._**

Another Joltick hissed through its small jaws. _"That stuff hurt Pokémon all across the city!"_

_ "And so did you!"_

_"Are you really even a Pokémon?"_

Mewtwo clenched his fists, internally wrestling with his own vexation. He could feel their mistrust in the air like miasma from a Koffing. They were being completely unreasonable and he had no patience to deal with it. He was quite used to rejection and contempt when interacting with others, whether people or Pokémon. Several times in his journeys, groups of wild Pokémon gathered to try and chase him out of their land—he always just left and didn't bother facing them. But he had no time for that now.

**_I need the cells to keep them out of the hands of humans,_**he said, spitting the words into the Joltick's minds. **_Tell me what you know._**He felt his eyes glow.**_Now._**And with that as his only warning, he pushed his way into their minds. They were weak things, and their fearful, flighty state only made it easier. He did not have to go deep before he caught the memories he was searching for. One of them had been feeding on electricity near the docks when it had witnessed a battle between two much larger and more powerful Pokémon. One of these Pokémon had the telltale purple eyes of Mewtwo's cells. Once Mewtwo had what he needed, he immediately withdrew.

He saw the Joltick stagger in alarm from his invasion before he turned around and flew back into the storm, ascending higher through city. The docks—that narrowed down his search a great deal. Ever since he had been wandering the city in search of his cells, he kept finding traces of them, but they were always just out of reach. It was like trying to smell one thing when a hundred other scents were in the air, or hear one sound among thousands. He was not sure if it was even possible to pin one energy down from all the other psyches…

Another lightning bolt stuck out above him, drawn to a rod on top of one of the skyscrapers. Its crackle shook the air, briefly making the whole sky white, but its energy was pulled towards the rod and nowhere near him. Mewtwo paused in the air and watched it with some interest, allowing a brief examination of the human technology that gathered the energy, before continuing on his way.

The docks were a relief from the intensity of the city. While he could still feel the uproarious density of Ryme City's minds from the less populated docks, the distance helped. He was separated from the chaos instead of in the midst of it. Here, there were far less Pokémon and people, and he could fly without having to weave between skyscrapers.

Mewtwo patrolled through the alleys and warehouses, scouring the wet docks for any trace of his cells. He felt a spark of their energy here and there; enough to know that he was on the right path. Pokémon fled at the sight of him, except for one foolish Rattata that lunged at him. Before the little Pokémon even landed, Mewtwo tossed it across the road and it wisely scampered away.

He had only been searching just over an hour when a new psychic racket caught his notice. This was not the din of the city, but it was a concentration of noise just as dense. Mewtwo hesitated when he sensed it, wanting to avoid humans and other Pokémon. But he knew that if he was going to find his cells, he would have to confront them eventually.

He located the source of the energy at a warehouse. It only took him one glance through a window to see that it was a battle arena. People and Pokémon crowded within it and teemed with excitement. A perfect place for wild, powerful Pokémon battles like the Joltic had seen, yet Mewtwo couldn't sense his cells within. The place was too hectic and Mewtwo considered leaving right then and there, but as he turned to go, something else caught his eye. Outside of the warehouse, but hurrying towards it across the docks, were two humans. Two humans Mewtwo _recognized._

The detective who had caught him, his son, along with the Pikachu. What were they doing here? They kept their heads down and covered beneath hoods to keep dry from the rain, but Mewtwo could identify them by the feel of their minds. The detective's psyche was chaotic, jumping from thought to thought, at first seeming to have no structure at all, but actually piecing ideas together bit by bit. The boy's mind was more mellow in comparison, but also forming theories in a strikingly similar way. The Pikachu was huddled into the detective's jacket, very displeased with the rain. Mewtwo watched them as they reached the warehouse and quickly hurried inside.

This was interesting. What were the odds that the humans who had figured out the truth about Clifford Enterprises ended up exactly where Mewtwo did, at the exact moment? An accident, or something…more? Mewtwo had learned that destiny, though a wily and elusive thing, wove into his life in the most unexpected and unexplained ways possible. Why were the two humans here? What were they looking for? Mewtwo debated with himself for a moment, before deciding to stay…and see what they did.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Tim

The illegal stadium was just as Tim remembered it. The people were loud, the music was louder, the place was crammed and dark and edgy. Despite being in a different location, it was almost exactly the same as before.

"I like being here as a human better than being here as a Pokémon," his Dad shouted in his ear, but it sounded like a whisper from across the room.

Tim could understand his Dad's point. With all the people shoving their way around, he was worried about getting trampled. He couldn't imagine actually being trample-sized.

Said trample-sized Pokémon scurried out from Harry's jacket and selected to perch himself on Harry's shoulder rather than the risky ground. Despite sheltering himself in Harry's jacket, Pikachu had still gotten wet from the tempest storm outside. Pikachu shook himself reproachfully and sprinkled water all over Harry's face.

"Pikachu!" Harry cried, trying to dry his face with his already-wet sleeve. "_Really?"_

"Pika, Pi_-kachu_,"the Pokémon harrumphed.

"So where are your informants?" Tim called to his Dad.

Harry spread his arms to encompass the entire crowd. "All around us! Every one of these people know _something."_

Tim frowned at him. "Shouldn't you be, you know, putting a stop to this? Pokémon battles are illegal in Ryme City, and you work for the police department."

Harry shrugged. "Pick your battles, Kid. The broken window theory has merit, but turning a blind eye also has its uses. Yeah, Ryme City doesn't really allow this, but by letting these people have their fun and sometimes giving them a bit of entertainment myself, they give me a load of information on _actual _criminals in return. I take down a lot of bad people with their help." Harry began to push his way through the crowd, shouting over his shoulder as Tim followed behind him. "If people were getting hurt by this then I wouldn't let it go on. But it's just some city-people who want to see a real battle instead of one on their TV. I'd rather be here and make sure it happens safely than let them hide it from me and it happens…un-safely," Harry ended lackluster.

Tim squeezed through the people, passing a man with tattoos of Unknown all over his body. They probably spelled something, but Tim didn't bother to read it. People were jumping and laughing with excitement everywhere in the dim light. Despite it being wet outside, inside it was hot and musty, smelling of sweat. Now that Tim was in the thick of it, it seemed even more crowded than last time.

Someone making their way past tripped over him, staggering a few steps but managing to stay up in the mess of people. Tim froze, unsure if he had just gotten in trouble with some edgy punk. But the boy, who was clearly a trainer from Sinnoh with a green hat, backpack, and overalls, just smiled and said "Sorry!" before rushing off again.

Tim stared after him for a moment, a little confused by the conflicting attitudes of this place. Some people looked like they belonged in jail, while others were like the neighbor you could borrow Moomoo Milk from. And it wasn't just that little boy; although the tone of the arena was clearly shady, many people present were young trainers, with cheerful clothing and curious, friendly demeanors. Tim shook his head and continued after his Dad.

He finally caught sight of the actual battle arena. It was chained in, fenced, clearly divided from the crowd surrounding it. He watched as a Scizor and Poliwrath fought within it, the Scizor agile and nimble, and the Poliwrath muscular and sturdy. For a moment, Tim paused as he remembered the dream he had that morning. Would he want a partner that was quick, or tough? There were other factors, too. A flying-type, for example, fought in an entirely different way than a ground-type.

Again, Tim had to pull himself from his wandering thoughts and focus on what he was doing. Firmly keeping his eyes away from the battle that was trying to hypnotize him, he followed after his father again. For years he had resentfully refused a partner, and he still struggled to warm up to the idea. But his dream kept returning to him, as he tried to imagine what kind of Pokémon he might have.

"HEY!"

Tim recognized the voice of the guy from the last time he had been here, the one with a coat but no shirt. It was impressive his voice carried over the noise. Tim turned his head and, sure enough, there he was. The Charizard was right behind him as well. At first, Tim thought the thug just liked his Pokémon with him to look intimidating, but then he noticed that the crowd gave the Charizard plenty of space, sparing his trainer from getting smothered as well. Perhaps the trainer kept it near just so he could _move_in this place.

Tim shuffled as the man began coming closing, uncomfortably remembering what happened three weeks ago. Pikachu-Harry had entered an embarrassing battle, Tim had stomped on the Charizard's tail, and then they had accidentally released a cloud of R into the room, making all the Pokémon go mad, only to be literally flooded out by a Gyarados. After that disaster, would this trainer want to kick them out?

The Charizard-trainer marched right towards them, and the people surrounding them quickly scuttled out of the way. Tim, no longer blocked by other people, immediately went to his Dad's side. But Harry wasn't disturbed at all. He put his hands in his pockets, leaned back easily, and gave a friendly smile to thug. On his shoulder, Pikachu looked less than friendly, allowing a few sparks to fly from his red cheeks.

"Sebastian," Harry greeted, his tone casual despite how needed to raise it to be heard. "Good to see you. Been a while."

"Yeah, last time you hurt my Charizard," Sebastian spat. Charizard snarled behind him, stretching out the familiar scar on its face. "And ripped my coat." Sebastian lifted an arm to show the tear in his beloved outerwear.

"_And,"_Sebastian went on, shooting a glare at _Tim_now, "A couple weeks ago this kid and your Pikachu showed up. They wrecked our stadium, made the Pokémon go crazy, and lost me some…_valuable_goods."

"Well, I would hardly call your old stadium _wrecked—"_Harry began.

"You weren't there," Sebastian sniffed.

"You'd be surprised," Harry shot back. "Besides, you set up shop again pretty quick. After last time, I thought you would wait until things cooled down a little."

Sebastian grew a nasty smirk. "Do you not see it, _detective?"_He scoffed. "Your observation skills need work."

Tim narrowed his eyes, deliberately keeping himself from glancing side to side, looking for what he was supposed to see. What did Sebastian know that they didn't? Actually, scratch that, what did he _expect_them to know, and was practically preening himself because they didn't?

"Bigger crowd than usual," Harry interrupted Tim's thoughts. "Much bigger. And a lot of the newcomers aren't from Ryme City." He paused. "I'm guessing quite a few of these people came to the city in search of Mewtwo."

Sebastian smiled and smacked his lips. "Yeah, people who are used to seeing battles all the time." One of his hands reached out and started to scratch his Charizard under the chin. "People who know how to have _real fun._And after their searches for that thing come up dry, they're thirsting for some _excitement."_

Tim_hadn't_noticed that the crowd was bigger. Mentally he scolded himself for not noticing something so obvious; he wanted to be a detective, he should do better! To be fair, though, the darkness and shadows of the warehouse made it hard to tell. The people were condensed so much they were just a tangle of bodies. He also had only been to one of these stadiums once before, so Tim didn't have much to compare it to. At least he had noticed the visitors from other regions.

"I imagine it's great for your business," Harry said nonchalantly. "Anyway, my son and I actually came to talk to you about the 'valuable goods' you had last time. We need information."

"When do you not?" Sebastian rolled his eyes.

The Loudred by the announcer suddenly boomed, blaring his voice above the crowd. "_AND POLIWRATH WINS WITH A CRUSHING DYNAMIC PUNCH! SCIZOR IS UNABLE TO BATTLE!" _Tim glanced at the arena as the Poliwrath lifted its fists to the crowd, which screamed with delighted frenzy.

"We need to know if you have anything else on the chemical," Harry went on, ignoring Sebastian's comment, as well as the exhilaration of the crowd. "Especially if there's any more of it floating around _after_what happened three weeks ago. If there is, you'd know about it, wouldn't you?"

Sebastian lifted his chin. "Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn't." His eyes slid from Harry to Pikachu on Harry's shoulder. "You know the gig, man. The people love a good battle. Beat my Charizard, and I'll tell you all you want to know."

Tim instinctively wanted to say no after what happened last time but Harry shrugged and said "Done deal."

Sebastian gave a knowing grin before he turned around and began to head to the other side of the stadium. His Charizard cleared a path for him with growls that could be heard above the havoc.

"Please tell me your Pikachu's soul is better at fighting than you are," Tim pleaded to his Dad.

Harry looked offended. "Excuse me, sir, I fought Mewtwo and didn't do half bad."

Tim gave him a dry look.

"Okay, yes, so Mewtwo may have almost killed me, but I got in a hit or two! I count that as better than most." He pulled Pikachu off his shoulders and held him in his arms, giving Tim an intent look. "Pikachu and I are a team, Tim. We both need to do our part for this case, and his is to win the battle. When we solve our case, we'll solve it together."

"Well, you were technically _together_last time you fought in an arena—"

"Okay, okay, that's enough!" Harry shook his head vigorously. "We got this, alright?"

_"NEXT UP, WE HAVE A REMATCH WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR…CHARIZARD VS. PIKACHU!"_

"Let's go, buddy," Harry said to Pikachu, hurrying to the gate of the arena. Tim reluctantly followed, miserably hoping he wouldn't have to step on the Charizard's tail again. As if stomping on its tail hadn't made him feel guilty enough, it had also burned his shoe.

Suddenly remembering what happened last time _before_the battle, Tim kept a close eye on Sebastian across the arena. But unlike before, he didn't pull out any vials or purple substances. His Charizard glared through the fences, but Sebastian simply scratched its horns and murmured in its ears.

Tim narrowed his eyes and spoke up to his Dad. "Sebastian had R last time, but he's not using any now. If there was some still out there, and he _did_have it, wouldn't he give it to his Charizard for this battle?"

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" Harry said thoughtfully. He joined Tim in observing Sebastian while he set Pikachu down by the gate. "Despite what Sebastian said about 'maybes,' I know he's got something. We just have to win this battle for him to answer."

Tim nervously glanced at little Pikachu and then at giant Charizard. Apparently, Pikachu _had_beaten it before. Pikachu was an electric-type, which was super-effective against Charizard's flying-type. But Charizard was much bigger, and fully evolved too. At least it wasn't powered up with crazy cells now.

"_HERE'S THE VICTOR OF THE LAST BATTLE, THE CHAMPION OF THE RING, THE CHARMING THUNDERBOLT…PIKACHU!"_

"You can do it, Pikachu," Harry assured his partner one last time before the little Electric Mouse leapt into the caged arena.

"Pika-pi!" Pikachu called to the audience. They cheered—some _awwwwed._

_"AND THE CHALLANGER, THE SECOND-PLACE CHAMPION OF THE RING…CHARIZARD!"_

Sebastian opened his own gate and his Charizard swept in on leathery wings. Unlike before, when it had burst through the gate like a mad animal, it now seemed to have predatory calculation in its gaze as it paced along the edge. Pikachu bristled its fur and arched its back, cheeks sparking with little bolts.

As the challenger, Charizard had the first move. It wasted no time; the second the Loudred blared their ears, Charizard released flamethrower all across the arena. It covered the whole floor, Tim wondered how Pikachu could possibly dodge when the little yellow Pokémon sprang into the air above the flames. With no hesitation, Pikachu jumped onto the arena's fence and began running across the wall of the cage.

Pikachu was quick, and as it ran it used Spark, charging up electricity in its run. The metal fence rattled and flashed with the energy, and the audience jumped back from it to avoid getting shocked. Charizard tried to swing its head to shoot the flames at Pikachu, but Pikachu jumped off the fence and came down upon Charizard. He landed right atop Charizard's head, and almost immediately bounced off. But it was enough. The electricity of Spark was discharged onto Charizard, and the Flame Pokémon staggered and shook his head in disorientation.

The crowd hooted in excitement as Pikachu landed, twisting in the air so to always face his opponent. He had a cocky, challenging grin.

Once Charizard cleared its head, the fury in its eyes clearly showed that fire-flying-type was already enraged. It charged forward with Dragon Claw—the glittering energy extended its talons to the length of swords and it began to swipe at Pikachu. Pikachu jumped out of the way and began a series of dodges, Charizard continuing to strike at him.

As Tim watched, memories from his childhood came creeping up on him from deep in his mind. Before his Mom had died, when he had wanted so eagerly to be a Pokémon trainer, he had studied everything about Pokémon. He knew that, normally, Charizard would be faster than Pikachu. But its speed was thanks of its powerful wings and incredible flying. Indoors, in this cage arena, Charizard didn't have enough room to fly. Thus, it could only use its bulky body. Without its speedy flight, Charizard lost an important advantage.

"I'm amazed that Sebastian guy thinks Charizard is so great in a stage like this," Tim shouted over to his Dad.

Harry beamed at him. "Noticed that, did you?" He chuckled, a sound barely heard over the noise. "Charizard is an impressive Pokémon, no matter where it is. But I think Sebastian thinks winning just comes from the strongest Pokémon, not from the strategy they use." Harry gave him a conspiring wink. "Just don't tell him that. Or I might lose one of my best sources of information."

Charizard finally managed to hit Pikachu, throwing the smaller Pokémon back. But Pikachu was barely down for a moment before it jumped back up again, right as Charizard came stomping forward with Fire Fang. Pikachu quickly swung its tail around and shot Electro Ball at the charging Pokémon. Charizard tried to dodge, leaning to the side, but Electro Ball hit its huge wing.

"Wow," Tim whispered. Then he swallowed and spoke louder, so his Dad could hear him. "Pikachu's amazing!"

"We've been through a lot together," Harry called back. "And we've both grown a lot as well." He paused a moment, then added, "That's what partnership with a Pokémon is all about. There's really nothing like it."

Tim decided to ignore his Dad's probe about him getting a Pokémon partner himself, and instead wondered if Sebastian and Charizard had a special bond of friendship too, even if they weren't _smart_. He glanced across the arena, but found that Sebastian wasn't watching the match. Where had he gone?

"Where's coat-no-shirt?" Tim asked.

Harry's eyes snapped away from the battle to where Sebastian would be. His eyes narrowed, and he seemed to mull the question over with seriousness that Tim had rarely seen in the three weeks he had spent with his Dad.

Finally, Harry leaned closer and spoke in a regular tone directly into Tim's ear. "That's not a good sign. I want you to go around the stadium and look for him."

Tim blinked at him. "Shouldn't we stick together?" Not that Tim couldn't be alone, but he didn't even have a Pokémon. This place was swarming with people who already didn't respect the law; any one of them could be really dangerous.

"They'll be watching me," Harry said back. "But they won't keep as close an eye on you. Go—now."

Without further objection, Tim turned around and pushed his way back into the swarm of people. He felt people on each side, like he was in a group of huddling Piplup, though far less cuddly. Most of them were cheering for the battle and didn't even glance at him. Tim stayed focused, although he could clearly hear the rattle of the cage, the roar of Charizard, the spark of Pikachu's electricity, and the gasps of the audience.

It was difficult to orient himself when everything here seemed to be the same consistent chaos all around. He muddled his way around the arena, trying to keep an eye out for Sebastian while also making his way to where Sebastian had been. Why had the scoundrel left his spot, watching the battle of his Charizard? Reclaiming his reputation as a powerful trainer and champion of the ring? Making sure no one stepped on his Charizard's tail again?

Tim realized he was turned around and didn't have a clue where he was. Was he across the stadium yet? Or had he already passed it and gone full circle around the place? He turned to the arena and looked for where the DJ's stand was; at least that was a way to tell what was what.

Yet he froze when, up by the Loudred and announcer, he spotted Sebastian. The trainer was leaning over to speak in the DJ's ear. Not liking the looks of that, Tim began to make his way closer.

Tim was almost there when the DJ made a motion with his hand, and two Aipom swung down from the ceiling to sit obediently before him. As Tim watched, Sebastian not-so-discreetly took something out of his coat and handed it off to the two awaiting Pokémon. They took it in their tails, and then began to climb back up the walls.

Uh-oh. Whatever Sebastian had just handed off, he didn't want Harry and Tim to know about it. And Tim had a pretty good idea what it was.

Tim kept his eyes locked on the two Aipom as they swung their way through the ceiling's rafters, climbing above the audience's heads. He couldn't lose sight of them. Quickly he fished out his Pokedex-phone and called up his Dad, hoping beyond hope Harry would notice his own phone ringing in all this chaos.

He did. "Tim? Where are you, what'd you find?"

"Sebastian passed off something to two Aipom who are now climbing on the ceiling," Tim said. He turned his phone's volume up as loud as it would go. "He's using his Charizard as a distraction."

"What exit are the Aipom heading to?"

"Uhhh…" Tim couldn't tell where the exits _were_in this place—which was a horrible fire hazard. But he watched the Aipom climb down one of the poles, heading away from the crowd. "Left of the DJ."

"Got it, meet you there." He hung up.

Tim stuffed his phone back in his pocket before making his way to the exit again. He heard a chorus of _'boos'_from the audience and another roar from the Charizard. He glanced back into the ring and saw the Charizard stomping about and lashing its tail, now alone in the arena. Pikachu must have hopped out to rejoin with Harry.

Tim was finally able to break free of the dense crowd, and broke into a run as soon as he could. He shoved the warehouse's door open, back outside in fresh, damp air. The storm had died down to a drizzle, and the two Aipom were right outside.

The purple Pokémon hissed in alarm when they saw him. Harry burst out behind him only a second later, Pikachu right on his heels.

Despite the way the two Aipom looked ready to tear them apart, Harry spoke to them in a soothing voice. "Hey, fellas…do you think you can hand over your poisonous stuff, please?"

The Aipom apparently did not think that, because they yapped at each other before splitting up in opposite directions and charging down the docks.

"Drat," Harry muttered as he and Tim swung their heads between the two escaping Pokémon. But then he charged off after the right one—Tim was just about to follow when Harry shouted over his shoulder, "Let's split up—you take the other one!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Mewtwo

Mewtwo had been watching the entire battle, his anger slowly rising with each passing moment. Originally, he hadn't sensed anything of his cells—but then, their presence had arisen from the clamoring psyches. It was like a few Wishwashi hiding beneath the waves of the ocean, nearly impossible to track. So Mewtwo had to wait for the exact moment when he could find the position of his cells and reclaim them. He watched like a Swellow gliding above the waves. But every second near this site grated on his nerves. The mere existence of such a primitive place of savage battling felt like a spit in his face.

When he had first come into the world, the relationship between humans and Pokémon had insulted him. Pokémon rolled over to the wills of their humans, battling each other and allowing themselves to be subdued merely for the amusement of the weaker creatures. After his horrible treatment at the hands of Giovanni, he had assumed all human-Pokémon relationships were like his had been.

But then he had seen the human child—Ash—run directly into the paths of crossfire beams, either one able to kill him, in order to stop a truly vicious fight and save the Pokémon. The human had given his life to do so. It had shown Mewtwo that there was something _more_to the relationship. Although he didn't understand exactly what that was, he didn't scorn it.

But these impudent battles, in which two Pokémon were thrown in a cage to duke it out, was exactly how he had originally perceived human-owned Pokémon—and he despised it.

Mewtwo had watched through the window as the rain let up, frustrated the more he observed. The human detective and his young one made their way through the stadium as if it were normal, although he knew that Pokémon battles in Ryme City were illegal. They didn't seem interested in the battle that was going on, but instead searching for another human within the herd. Then, they had sent their Pikachu into the arena against a Charizard.

Things got interesting when the younger human, the son of the detective, broke away from his father. Mewtwo had watched him from above, and it became obvious that the human boy was looking for something. It was then that Mewtwo had detected the elusive presence of his cells. Now fully alert, Mewtwo followed the boy's gaze to a pair of Aipom as they fled out of the warehouse, with both the detective and his son right behind them. Mewtwo turned away from the window to watch them, and as they got outside, he suddenly pinpointed his cells; _them_.

Mewtwo's cells each carried a bit of his psychic energy. It was exceedingly difficult to isolate—they were so small, and they were now altered to become the R chemical. But like a single Floette in a field of flowers, he knew it when he felt it. And the Aipom held some.

Mewtwo had just made that deduction when the two Aipom sprinted off in opposite directions, the two humans soon following suit.

But where should he go? He couldn't tell which Aipom had the cells, or perhaps both of them did. He needed to retrieve every last one. But, if these two humans caught the cells, he could track them down later, while the Aipom could go anywhere. So which human would be more likely to lose their goal?

Well, the adult detective had managed to find and catch Mewtwo, even if that had been with advanced technology at his disposal. He also had the Pikachu companion to assist him. Mewtwo would follow the boy's Aipom. But with the rain now died down, he had to be a lot more careful about being seen.

Staying close to the rooftops so he wouldn't be flying directly over anyone's head, Mewtwo took after the boy. He swept from roof to roof, eyes locked onto his prey. The young human chased the rampant Aipom across the docks before it fled into an old, shabby warehouse. Mewtwo couldn't exactly burst through the front door as the Aipom and human had done, so he flew up to the roof, found a broken window, and slipped in.

It was dark inside, and quiet. Unlike the battle stadium, this warehouse was abandoned and filled with clutter. There were towering crates and mazelike pathways that weaved through them, and a thousand possible hiding places for a small, clever Pokémon like an Aipom. The only light came in through the dirty windows and the open door which the human was coming through.

"Hello?" the human called. Mewtwo paused, perched on one of the rafters in the shadows, glancing at the boy from the darkness. Did he expect the Aipom to respond? Or did he think anyone else was in here? Mewtwo already swept over the place with his mind and only felt the two other presences in the vicinity. One had what he was after. "Aipom? Come out, can I just talk to you?"

Mewtwo instinctively scoffed at the human's foolishness, only to immediately scold himself—he had just done something just as improvident. As if to mock his mistake, the scoff echoed throughout the warehouse.

"H-Hello?" Mewtwo felt the human's mind spike in fear. Mewtwo didn't move, hoping that if the human heard nothing else, he wouldn't realize that an Aipom couldn't make that noise. "I know someone else is here—come out!"

Mewtwo had no intention of doing that; that is, until he saw the human draw his cellular device. He scowled, silently. Humans, they always called for more, they could never handle anything alone. No, they needed _groups,_and _Pokémon._

He had already shown himself to this human. It knew he existed, and had proven that it didn't want to harm him. Mewtwo would rather _not_interact with the boy further, but it was better than drawing even more attention to himself, or encountering the detective. So, containing his aggravation, Mewtwo leapt off his perch and landed only a few feet before the human.

The human _squeaked_and stumbled back as Mewtwo straightened. Even when they were on equal ground, Mewtwo was easily taller, the boy hardly coming up to his shoulder. No longer trying to hide himself, Mewtwo allowed his psychic energy to radiate freely, like static in the air.

"Mewtwo," the human boy breathed. His eyes were wide with alarm, and a touch of fear. Mewtwo wondered if it was because the boy knew Mewtwo was a powerful, dangerous Pokémon, or because last time they had encountered, Mewtwo's controlled body had wreaked havoc on the entire city. Perhaps both.

**_Indeed, human,_**Mewtwo acknowledged, staring down at him. **_I did not expect our paths to cross again._**

****"I thought you had skipped town," the human managed to get out.

**_How presumptuous of you._**Mewtwo flicked his tail. **_I prefer not to broadcast my location to the rest of the world. I am sure you can understand why._**

****"Yeah," the human murmured, straightening up. His fear and alarm were slowly leaving him. He peered at Mewtwo skeptically. "Have—Have you just been here?" Mewtwo narrowed his eyes and the human hurried to clarify himself. "I mean, in this warehouse. Is this where you've been since what Mr. Clifford did?"

**_Certainly not,_**Mewtwo almost growled at the notion. As if he would simply sit here for days—weeks—on end.

Mewtwo had intended for his tone to cut that subject off with no further argument, but the boy did not seem to get the message. He only swallowed in a brief pause before speaking again. "Well, you must have been hiding out somewhere," the boy said. "I don't think you could get around the city without someone seeing you in all that time. So you must have been keeping low someplace."

This human was wasting his time with its ridiculous assumptions. Mewtwo knew the Aipom was still hiding in here with his cells and he needed to find it, pestering boy or no.

Disregarding the vexatious human, Mewtwo turned around and began to weave his way through the larger square containers. They towered above him and were packed close together, with only enough room between them to allow one person to navigate through. It was not unlike the city itself, and reminded Mewtwo of some of the more complex caverns he had discovered in his travels. The broken windows above allowed in some grey light from the overcast sky outside, but the area was filled with shadows. Mewtwo kept an eye out for appealing hiding places for a mischievous little Pokémon.

"Hey—wait up!" the human boy called behind him.

Mewtwo glanced over his shoulder and saw that the human was following behind him. So much for the hope that he could just ignore it and it would go away. Instead it called after him like a Litleo after its Pyroar mother. Did it really think it could give him commands? Mewtwo didn't reduce his pace at all, yet the human managed to catch up nonetheless.

"If you haven't been living here, then why are you here now?" the human asked.

Mewtwo paused at a gap between two containers. It was dark and narrow, but wide enough that a nimble Aipom could slip through. He lifted a hand and used Flash, summoning a purple light in his hand that glowed like a miniature star. He directed the light into the musty crevice, but it only revealed dust and empty space. He dropped his hand and the Flash vanished.

The human edged forward and leaned over to look into the crevice. The boy got into his personal space, and with a grimace, Mewtwo turned and moved on.

But the human persistently followed behind him. "Did you hear me? I asked you—"

**_Yes, I did hear you._**Mewtwo gritted his teeth. **_But I fail to see how it is any of your concern._**

The human was thankfully silent at that. Mewtwo had a small respite before it began talking again. "I think I can be concerned since thousands of trainers have come to the city looking for you. You helped me and my Dad, so I'd rather you not get attacked by them."

**_You are incorrect; it is still not your concern,_**Mewtwo said as he rounded a corner. **_I can handle any human trainer, so it is best you leave me be. _**The human trainers who pursued him were not a threat. He was strong enough to fight them and quick enough to escape them. He had done so for his entire life. Over the years, only a small handful of trainers had managed to track him down and confront him, but he merely tossed their Pokémon aside and wiped their memory. There were a few who had spotted him without his knowledge. In those cases, they were able to tell the tale. Still, that didn't _harm_him.

There was a soft sound from outside, and the empty, cold walls of the warehouse echoed it across the space. The boy's head shot up at the subtle noise; "Did you hear something strange?"

Mewtwo had already determined that the sound could not have been the Aipom, for he could still sense the Pokémon lying in wait. He was certain that the sound had been from a wild Pidgey or other flying-type Pokémon outside, completely irrelevant to his search.

**_I heard nothing but you. Is that what you meant by strange? _**Mewtwo intoned slyly to the human, and then continued on.

He heard the boy's dry scoff accompany the echoes of the narrow halls. "Ha-ha, very funny." Mewtwo ignored that and kept moving forward, the boy, unfortunately, soon catching up with him _again_.

"There are a lot of places the Aipom could hide here," the human asked, falling into pace behind Mewtwo. "It could be anywhere."

**_It will not escape me,_**Mewtwo said darkly, knowing that the Aipom could hear him as well. There was a small twinge of fear in the air.

The human was thoughtfully silent for a moment, and then changed the subject.

"I think you're lying about staying here," the human said matter-of-factly, still easily walking behind Mewtwo. "No one in the city has seen you in almost a week. I thought that you had gone somewhere else, but if you've been in the city that whole time, then you must have been hiding. And since I found you in this warehouse—"

**_Why are you so persistent about this theory? _**Mewtwo snapped over his shoulder.

"Trying to be a detective," the boy said back easily. "Is my theory right?"

Mewtwo was fed up with this human's preconceptions. **_If you _must_know, I am tracking down the cells that the_doctor_—_**Mewtwo psychically spat the word—**_stole from me._**

The human blinked at him as Mewtwo turned down another path. "You mean Dr. Laurent? When you were caught by Clifford Enterprises?"

**_No, I mean the Nurse Joy down the road. Who do you _think_I mean?_**

"So you're after R!" the boy's eyes lit up. Mewtwo had no idea if it even understood his sarcasm. "That's great! My Dad and I are investigating R, too, to stop rogue trainers from using it."

**_Your enthusiasm about a hunt for dangerous material is inapt, _**Mewtwo said, turning down another path.

"It's not that—it's that _you're_looking as well," the boy said.

Mewtwo tuned the human out for a moment as he found a container that was cracked open a few inches. With a wave of his hand, the container's door slid aside, and Mewtwo leaned his head in, again summoning Flash to his hand. But there was only empty space. He stepped out right as the human stepped within, and Mewtwo briefly humored the idea of locking him inside. But the pesky human kept his foot in the door and then came back out. With another careless wave, the container's door slid fully shut with a rusty _clang_.

Mewtwo patrolled forward, reaching out his mind to feel the eddies of psychic energy. His prey was tucked away with his cells, hiding and hoping he'd pass it by, but he felt he was getting closer with each step.

The boy's jabbering drew him out of his thoughts. "The chemical is extremely dangerous and could hurt both people and Pokémon."

**_I do not care about humans or Pokémon,_**Mewtwo said bitingly, pausing a moment to be sure the boy's distraction hadn't made him miss anything. **_They are my cells and I cannot let them fall into the grasp of mankind. I must destroy them with my own hands._**

"Wait," the human paused and Mewtwo inspected another alcove. "You don't care at all about how others could get hurt?"

Laboratories flashed before Mewtwo's eyes. Dr. Fuji's lab, where Mewtwo had wiped out the entire island, inhabitants included. Giovanni's base, which he had decimated, with no consideration of what or who he destroyed. And most recently, Dr. Laurent's lab, which he had left in ruins. People had gotten hurt each time he escaped those situations, when he had done what he needed to do…or recklessly lost control of his temper. Some people had _died._

It wasn't that he was indifferent. He cared about a select few humans, like Ash Ketchum. And after the detective—the boy's father—had helped rescue Mewtwo from Dr. Laurnent, he had saved that human's life in return. The loss of innocent life was always ill-fated. But sometimes, the humans deserved what was coming to them.

He didn't think this boy would like his answer, though, so Mewtwo didn't give it to him.

Silence descended upon them once more, this time more tense. Mewtwo used the opportunity to listen for the Aipom, but he heard nothing. He knew it was in here, he could still sense it. It was just hiding…and hiding well.

Mewtwo reached a dead end. He knew the Aipom was close, but these crates made the warehouse a difficult area to navigate. He turned around, only to find that the human was blocking his path. The boy had a searching expression, trying to figure him out, trying to read him. Whether the boy was purposing debarring Mewtwo or simply not paying attention, Mewtwo had little patience for it.

**_Move,_**he said to the child.

"Answer me," the impertinent human shot back.

It was so unexpected that Mewtwo did not process the words for a moment. Then the rage stampeded in.

How_dare_he take such a tone, how _dare _he try to counteract Mewtwo, how _dare_he make such demands of him. In two words, this insolent, reckless human had made three deleterious offenses. Mewtwo lashed his tail and decided to put this human in his place. His eyes glowed blue and fear briefly crossed the boy's face before Mewtwo reached out and shoved him back with his psychic powers. As if the child had been pushed hard, the boy flew out of Mewtwo's way.

It wasn't enough force to harm him. From the way the boy cried out, it was clear he _thought_it was. Humans were such fragile creatures, but this wasn't even enough power to even bruise his skin.

Path now cleared, Mewtwo swept right up to the human. He could have easily flown over the boy, but that wasn't the point. Every human needed to understand that Mewtwo was controlled by _no one._He knew this one was young, and thus he was showing a great amount of leniency. But still, Mewtwo would not be dictated.

The human flinched minutely as Mewtwo approached, and Mewtwo stopped before him. He looked down as the child cowered on the floor, standing tall yet showed no other signs of threat. It was unnecessary; his power was already established.

**_Do not attempt to command me, human,_**Mewtwo said coldly. **_I may be grateful for what you have done for me, but I saved your father and undid the damage of Howard Clifford. I consider us even. I advise you keep the balance in your favor._**

****With that, Mewtwo turned back down the path and continued his search. Perhaps the human would be scared off, finally understanding that Mewtwo was not to be trifled with, and let him look in peace. If the boy hadn't already been of assistance to Mewtwo, then he would have wiped his memory and tossed him out at first sight.

Mewtwo had scoured through half of the warehouse when the human caught up with him again. The boy still dared to even be near him? Mewtwo was surprised and somewhat puzzled, but refused to show it. The human's reckless tenacity reminded him of…Ash.

The boy began speaking almost immediately. "Were you actually going to hurt me?"

Mewtwo did not bother to so much as glance at him, though the question made him more uneasy than he liked. **_If I had wanted to harm you, you would be harmed. _**He paced around another corner. **_I have a task to do. You were in my way; I moved you. _**

There was a thoughtful moment before the boy spoke again. "I have a task, too," the boy said. "Look. My Dad and I are after R; you're after R. All of us want it off the streets and out of reach of those who would abuse it. I think we could do this a lot faster if we worked together."

Mewtwo froze, and then slowly turned his head around to look at the human. He could tell by the boy's expression that he was entirely serious. He truly believed in that ludicrous idea.

Mewtwo bared his teeth with rage. **_I do not _need_any assistance,_**he hissed. **_Especially not that of humans._**

****"I'm not saying you do," the boy said cautiously, lifting his hands in a pacifying way. It wasn't working. "But I think it would be easier, and faster. And—" he added, pointing a finger, "—there are a lot of new trainers in the city, looking for you. It'll be hard for you to work while being hunted by so many people. But I can go in places you can't, and do so much less suspiciously. And, what if those visiting trainers find some R and decide to take it home with them, back to their regions? What will you do then?"

Mewtwo blinked, taken aback by the actually valid points the human was making. Mewtwo may have travelled across the world, but hunting down any humans that might smuggle off his cells would be a wild Farfetch'd chase to be sure. And he needed to retrieve them all as soon as possible, before someone who had experience with genetics, cloning, or nefarious experimentation got their hands on any. He couldn't waste his time breaking or sneaking into places that a human could easily infiltrate.

"My Dad and I know the city," the child went on. "We have access to the police department, too. Combine that with your abilities, and we'll stand a much better of finding all the R before anyone leaves the city with it."

Mewtwo hesitated. Being near humans hardly ever ended well for him. But he needed to get back his cells. If some greedy human, like Giovanni, got their hands on them…it could be disastrous. By those standards, the boy's proposal was the lesser of two evils.

There was also the fact that without the boy and his father, Mewtwo wouldn't be close to his cells right now. When he had encountered the battle arena, he had failed to sense them through the emotional chaos of the humans. He had almost left, but remained when he saw the boy and his father. Because he had stayed, eventually he had felt his cells emerge. Was this some odd twist of fate?

It was extremely concerning that the psychic chatter of the humans in the arena had somehow blocked the whisper of his cells. It could only assume that the doses of his DNA were even smaller than he had realized, or perhaps the changes to them made it more difficult to detect them. Whatever it was, he could not rely on his psychic senses alone to find the rest.

Mewtwo was still mulling it over when a small sound echoed across the warehouse. Mewtwo's head snapped up, his attention diverted. Everything seemed still, but he knew that something was different, now. The Aipom was no longer hiding, no longer just waiting them out. It was going to make a break for it, Mewtwo could feel its mental preparation like a distinct scent in the air.

"…Mewtwo?" Mewtwo held up a hand to silence the human; no doubt the boy knew something was up, but his limited senses meant he couldn't detect everything. Mewtwo remained perfectly still, not willing to strike until he was certain where his prey was.

Then—it made a break for one of the broken windows, climbing up the walls towards its escape. Mewtwo flew up above the crates, fast as a pouncing Liepard. His psychic powers reached out and snatched the Aipom in an invisible grip. The Aipom screeched in alarm as Mewtwo yanked it away from the walls, making it flail helplessly in the air.

Mewtwo relaxed a little now that he had finally caught the evasive Pokémon. The Aipom scampered in the air for purchase but it was completely trapped. He drew it closer to him and it began squeaking nervously.

_"Please let me go," _it whined. _"What have I done to you?" _With a whimper, the Aipom curled its long tail around itself and clenched its eyes shut, too afraid to look at him. Mewtwo was quite used to responses like this from other Pokémon, and it did not deter him.

_ **You have something that belongs to me,**_Mewtwo replied. He held out a hand to the Aipom suspended before him. **_Hand it over._**

****With some reluctance, the Aipom bent its tail around and dropped a vial into Mewtwo's awaiting hand. The glass vibrated with the wild, stormy energy within. His cells, at last. Now that they were in his grip, he sensed their energy, clear and unobstructed. He had these ones back, at least, but there were still more out in the city.

_"I didn't know they were yours,"_the Aipom mumbled. _"I was just following my trainer's instructions. He wanted us to hide them. Those aren't even his, but his friend's."_

Mewtwo considered the Aipom for a moment, wondering if its relationship with its trainer was truly the 'partnership' it should be. But this Pokémon wasn't his enemy, nor was its trainer. It had nothing else he wanted. As for the other Aipom of the pair…

**_Can you lead me to the other vial?_**

****The Aipom shook its head. _"We were supposed to hide and then meet our trainer at the edge of the docks once things had died down."_

That was…interesting. So this Aipom didn't know where the other one _was,_but where it _would be._He subtly pushed his way into the Pokémon's mind; he Aipom shook his head in discomfort at the intrusion. But Mewtwo saw the rendezvous location easily. He knew exactly where it was.

But… Mewtwo glanced down at the human, who was looking up at him, no doubt only understanding his own side of this conversation. He still had _that_thing on his tail.

Mewtwo slowly lowered himself to the ground, along with the Aipom. Once he had set it down, he jerked his head at it. **_Run along._**

It didn't need telling twice. The Aipom was up the walls and out the window in record time. Mewtwo watched it go, and then turned to the human.

The boy looked somewhat amazed. "Wow. You actually got it." Mewtwo narrowed his eyes, and the human quickly added, "I thought the Aipom would have gotten out of the building by now."

Mewtwo scoffed. **_Again with your presumptions._**

****"I'm glad you found it," the boy said, and began to reach for the vial.

At once Mewtwo drew it back and pierced the human with a threatening glare. **_This stays with me._**

The human drew back as if he had been struck and grimaced. Mewtwo lashed his tail, but the human didn't entirely back down. "Look, I know you said you need to destroy your cells, but that's police evidence. We could use that to find the rest. I promise we won't actually _use_the R, and we can destroy it afterwards."

**_I am not leaving my cells in human hands. This is immutable._**

****The human's face twitched and Mewtwo guessed he didn't know what 'immutable' meant. But the indication was clear from his tone.

The human crossed his arms. "In that case, you're not being more harmful than helpful in this investigation."

Mewtwo continued to glare at him for a moment, before he silently gave a lengthy sigh.**_Very well, _**he capitulated. He couldn't believe he was agreeing to this. But he had to admit, the boy had points. He took a step forward. **_I shall arrive at your residence tonight to discuss how we can be of assistance to each other in searching for my cells. _**He gave the boy a pointed look. **_But _do not_share this with your father. I want as few humans as possible to know what I am up to._**

****The boy grinned. "That's fair. Thank you."

Mewtwo ignored the gratitude and flew up to the window he had come in from. As he slipped through, he wondered what he had just gotten himself into…and where it would lead him.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Tim

Tim watched the legendary Pokémon go, and then sighed in relief and exhaustion. He'd never met anyone like Mewtwo before, that was for sure. Mewtwo was short-tempered, uncooperative, and even aggressive. Tim flinched at the memory and reached back to massage his neck. Mewtwo hadn't done any _real_damage, but it had still hurt.

_If I had wanted to harm you, you would be harmed._

Threatening words, but in a roundabout way, comforting, too. Mewtwo _didn't_want to harm him. Maybe not harm other people either.

But—Mewtwo had refused to answer if he cared that people and Pokémon got hurt, which didn't bode well. Mewtwo was the strongest Pokémon in the world; he could easily steamroll over anyone and anything to get what he wanted. Which was why Tim had continued to insist that they work together. If Mewtwo stayed where Tim could keep an eye on him, perhaps he could warn people of the Pokémon's wrath, and stop him from doing damage…if such things occurred.

Tim's shoulders drooped as he realized he would have to return to his Dad empty-handed. While Tim could take some satisfaction that Mewtwo had taken the R out of criminal hands, in order to keep Mewtwo a secret, he would have to tell his Dad that the Aipom had escaped. His Dad would think that R was still out there. Tim hated having to lie to his father, but Mewtwo had been clear and the last thing he wanted to do was violate the Pokémon's trust.

_And violate your father's instead?_his mind whispered.

Tim shook his head. He _would_tell his father, eventually. Sometime after Mewtwo left town and would never know. He promised himself that.

Speaking of his Dad, Tim needed to find him. He took out his phone and called up his father, who answered almost immediately.

_"Tim!"_Harry's excited, happy voice was filled with energy. _"I was just about to call you! Pikachu and I caught our Aipom, and it _did_have R! Did you manage to catch up with yours?"_

Tim flinched and was grateful that his Dad couldn't tell over the phone. "No…sorry, Dad. It got away." The Aipom had, but the R hadn't.

_"Ah, Tim, don't worry. We have one, that's a lead."_His Dad didn't sound disappointed, but Tim still felt ashamed. _"Let's meet back up at the car."_

OOO

"Pika-pi!"Pikachu was standing on the hood of Harry's car, and was the first to notice Tim's approach. His Dad looked up and smiled.

"Tim!" His Dad called. He lifted up the vial. "Look familiar?"

"Horribly so," Tim stared at the purple fumes condensed into the glass, like a miniature storm. In that were the cells of Mewtwo, cells the Pokemon was so determined to get back. It was also the material that had sent hundreds of Pokémon on rampages, and had helped Howard Clifford—by controlling Mewtwo—force humans into the bodies of their partners.

"Yeah." Harry lifted the vial to his face to look at it closer. "You deeeefinitely don't want a whiff of this."

"So, there _was _more of it outside of Clifford Enterprises," Tim distracted himself with business. "But where is it coming from? The lab is destroyed, and Mewtwo is gone—" those words tripped a bit over Tim's tongue "—so they can't be making more. And Roger Clifford handed over everything that was left of it."

"They were testing it out on illegal Pokémon battles," Harry said thoughtfully. "Maybe a few trainers kept some for themselves. We have to find it all."

Tim slumped. "Dad, I—"

Harry waved his hand dismissively. "No, no, stop apologizing, Tim. Look, I technically didn't even catch mine—Pikachu did."

"Pika_-CHU,"_the yellow Pokémon agreed, sounding quite smug. He stuck his nose up with an air of _'YEAH I did.'_

But it wasn't that. It was because Tim was lying to his father. Certainly, his Dad deserved to know. He had caught, and eventually rescued, Mewtwo in the first place, so shouldn't he be told if Mewtwo was still around? But Tim sighed and pushed away his guilt. He wouldn't get anything done if he dwelled on it.

But then a new wonder bloomed into Tim's mind; if he had a Pokémon partner like his Dad, then would he have caught the Aipom without Mewtwo?

"Come on," Harry said, bringing Tim out of his thoughts. "We have to make a run to the station to check this vial out." He opened the car's door and slid into the driver's seat, Tim going around and getting in the passenger's. Pikachu hopped onto his lap and looked at Tim pointedly until Tim began petting him. Then Pikachu purred contently and settled down.

As Harry began to drive out of the docks, Tim watched the rooftops and wondered where Mewtwo was.

OOO

The Snubbull was glaring at him. Again.

The pink Pokémon's glowering eyes stared at Tim unblinkingly, and the two sharp teeth that poked through its underbite seemed to flash like gleaming Scyther's scythes. The moment Tim walked in, Snubull was staring at him. It was almost like the Pokémon had known he was there and had been watching him through the walls. Snubull did not move its gaze from Tim in the slightest even as Tim walked across the office to take a seat next to his father. Tim, his Dad, and Pikachu, sat there in uncomfortable silence as Snubull threateningly stared them down.

"Why is it doing that?" Tim asked softly to his Dad. He knew the Snubbull was right there, and could hear his whisper perfectly well, but its terrifying glare made Tim afraid to speak any louder.

Apparently, Harry felt the same. "I don't know," he whispered back. "It's done this to me for _years."_

It was a small eternity until Detective Hideo Yoshida finally came in. "Harry, Tim, Pikachu," the lieutenant greeted, nodding to each of them. He sat down at his desk and threw some papers in a pile in the corner. "Getting involved in the illegal stadiums again, are you?"

"You know I only go there for information, Hideo," Harry's voice sounded overly cheeky, and a bit _too_laid back. He folded his fingers together on his lap and crossed his legs.

"Of course," Detective Yoshida gave a kind smile and leaned back into his seat. "And the fact that your Pikachu is champion of the ring has everything to do with getting information."

"It_does,"_Harry nodded eagerly. "You said it, not me."

Detective Yoshida crossed his arms. Beside him, Snubbull growled at them. Both Tim and Harry leaned back from the menacing pink Pokémon warily. Pikachu, apparently fed up with it, hopped up on the desk before Snubbul. At once, Snubbul turned away from the two humans to direct its glower onto Pikachu, who scowled right back.

Ignoring the showdown between Pikachu and Snubbull, Detective Yoshida sighed and gave in. "What did you find?"

Tim's Dad beamed before fishing out the vial from his jacket. He set it on the lieutenant's desk. "Two Aipom fled from the scene. We caught one, which had this. We can only assume that means the other Aipom had more. Which means there's still R out there."

Detective Yoshida picked up the vial and looked at it closely. After a moment, he slowly lowered it back on the desk and looked at Harry. "Harry…I'm not denying this is important, but you know what our priorities are right now."

"What?!" Harry put both of his hands on Detective Yoshida's desk. "This is proof that we didn't get all the R! Retrieving the rest of it should be our number-one priority."

"I know it should," Detective Yoshida lifted a hand to silence him. "But we're spread too thin already."

"What do you mean?" Tim asked, trying to ignore how Pikachu's cheeks were starting to spark.

"It's all the trainers coming to Ryme City, looking for Mewtwo," the lieutenant said exasperatingly. He scowled at the papers on his desk as if they offended him. "They're all battle-eager adventurers who can't respect Ryme City's way of life. In this city, Pokémon aren't caught in Pokéballs. But the newcomer trainers are doing just that, and battling all over the place. They're upsetting the people and Pokémon who actually live here. I need every officer I've got to keep them in line. These trainers are disturbing our citizens."

"R will disturb our citizens, too," Harry pointed out.

Detective Yoshida gave him a flat look. Harry pressed on. "This vial came from somewhere. At least let me look into that."

They stared at each other for a minute, not unlike Pikachu and Snubbull's current glaring contest. Finally, Detective Yoshida gave a sigh of defeat. "Fine. You can look into that. But I need you right now, Harry. You're one of the best of us."

"Thank you, sir," Harry grinned gratefully. "I'll be as quick as possible."

"You better," the lieutenant grumbled.

With that, Harry scooped up Pikachu off the desk and hurried out the door. Tim floundered after them.

Tim followed his Dad all the way to the car. By the time Tim got in, Harry was excitedly tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. He lifted the vial again. "Right, so, we just need to find out where this came from, and we'll find our source of R."

"How do we do that?" Tim asked skeptically.

"Hey," Tim's Dad playfully shoved his shoulder. "Don't look so doubtful. We're world-class detectives."

OOO

"You've gotten Moomoo Milk _everywhere."_

"That's impossible," Tim's Dad denied. Despite the evidence of milk all over the counter, the detective stubbornly rebutted the accusation. "I only poured one cup of Moomoo Milk, and I spilled _that._So it can't have gotten _everywhere."_

"I beg to differ," Tim sang, taking out a towel and beginning to mop it up. Pikachu bounced onto the counter and began to lap up some of the milk.

"Pikachu," Tim sighed disappointedly. "No licking things off the counter. We'll feed you later; clean it with a towel." Tim held a washcloth out to Pikachu, who grumbled but obediently took it and began to scrub the milk up. Between the two of them, they cleaned it up in no time. Tim threw the soaked cloths into the sink and turned back to cooking dinner.

"Now…" his Dad said, lifting a hand to his chin as he peered into the fridge. "Is it the Wiki Berry or the Watmel Berry we put in?"

"Pika_chu,"_the Electric Mouse Pokémon said with exasperation.

"It's the _Wepear_Berry, Dad," Tim corrected. "And we have to slice it up first. I'll do that while you stir the sauce." Tim took out a knife and cutting board and began to get to work. "How could you have lived alone for so long and still have no idea how to cook?"

Harry shrugged. "Take out," he answered. "And microwave food. Before you came, I hadn't had a home-cooked meal in ages. Your mother was the chef in our relationship."

They both got unexpectedly quiet at that. There was only the chopping sound of Tim cutting the Berry and the _pop pop_of the sauce on the stove.

Harry sighed. "I miss her meals. She was a Pokémon Master in the kitchen."

"Yeah. I remember." Tim slid aside the slices of Wepear Berry and picked out a new one. "I miss her, too."

"Pika, Pikachu," Pikachu said sympathetically.

Tim glanced over his shoulder to see his Dad scratching Pikachu under the chin. Well, he'd have to wash his hands again. Then Tim noticed— "Dad…Dad! The sauce is burning!"

Harry jumped in alarm and reached for the bubbling sauce, only to wrench his hand back as a bit splattered out. Pikachu quickly leapt away to avoid getting scalded, and the sauce sprayed all over the counter Tim and Pikachu had just cleaned. Tim quickly reached over and turned off the stove, and the sauce's bubbling lessened as it cooled down.

They both peered into the pot, with its sauce now darkened at the edges. "You think it's still good?" Harry asked.

"We'll find out," Tim said as he slid his Wepear slices off the cutting board and into the sauce. "Stir that for a minute, I'll prepare the noodles. But wash your hands first!" Tim added as his Dad reached for the spoon.

His Dad frowned. "What, are you saying Pikachu's dirty?"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu looked offended.

"No, I'm saying Pikachu is _fuzzy,"_Tim said pointedly. "And I'd rather not have _fuzz_in my food."

"Hmph," his father grumbled, but relented and began to wash his hands.

When the sauce was ready, Tim poured it over the two plates of noodles, and a little over Pikachu's food, too, to give it flavor. Then they all sat down at the table and tried it out.

After the first bite, Tim began his critique. "It's pretty good. I mean, it's obvious you overcooked the sauce, but I think we did a good job."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "'_It's obvious I overcooked the sauce'?"_he paraphrased. "Well _I_think I taste too much Weplar Berry."

"We_pear,"_Tim said with a playful smile. "I also taste a little too much Moomoo Milk, since you spilled in your measurements."

"At least there's no Pikachu fur in it," his Dad shot back.

Then they both burst out laughing, Pikachu chuckling on the side. When they could speak again, Harry said between giggles, "With all these flaws, perhaps our dinner isn't _quite_so good after all."

"No way," Tim said, twirling his fork in the noodles. "It's perfect. We should cook it like this every time."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed, nibbling on a pellet.

"Oh, well, if Pikachu likes it, then that's that," his Dad said with all seriousness.

The chuckled and continued to eat, before a new question sprung into Tim's mind. "Hey, Dad…how did you and Pikachu meet?" Since watching Pikachu battle valiantly in the arena, Tim couldn't help but wonder where his Dad had found the remarkable little Pokémon.

His Dad paused, a Very Big bite of noodles halfway to his mouth. He set it back down and looked thoughtfully at Pikachu, who tilted his head back.

"I found Pikachu as a little runt Pichu, in a box in an alley," his Dad answered.

Tim blinked, not expecting that answer. Pikachu always acted with such confidence, he couldn't imagine it being left alone, helpless, and abandoned.

Harry continued. "He didn't quite like me at first. I got shocked a lot. Despite being in the city, he was wild and didn't trust easily. It took time for us to bond. But we've been through so much, I know we're in this together."

That was saying something. Pikachu was so loyal to his partner that he had given up his body so that Harry could live. Without hesitation, Pikachu agreed to let Mewtwo move Harry's soul into his skin. Together, they solved mysteries and fought crime. Harry had trained Pikachu to be strong enough to take down a Charizard easily.

Again, Tim's dream came to mind. If he _did_have a partner…what would it be? Would they get as close as Harry was with Pikachu?

"Wow…" Tim whispered.

Harry reached over to scratch Pikachu's ears. Pikachu nuzzled his palm affectionately, and then they finished up dinner.

Once they had put the dishes away, Harry went straight for his laptop. "So. The case."

Right, the case. When Tim and his father had gotten home, they'd been too hungry to actually do work. But Harry was confident that they could somehow use that vial to find the rest of the R.

"We're fairly certain that at least _one_more vial of R is out there, as that other Aipom likely had one," his Dad began. Tim bit his tongue to keep from blurting that Mewtwo had stolen the R from the other Aipom. The legendary Pokémon had said that he would visit Tim tonight—but how? Especially considering that he didn't want Tim's Dad to know anything.

"But I don't think this vial is from three weeks ago," Harry went on. He took it out and set it down by his laptop while Tim pulled up a chair beside him. "I can feel it in my jellies."

"You're still going on about your jellies," Tim mumbled.

"Have they been wrong yet? No, no they haven't, so stop criticizing my jellies," Harry said with attitude. "_If_this vial isn't from when that creepy Ms. Norman was spreading it around, then that means it's being distributed from somewhere or someone else. Now, if we can just find out what kind of vial this is…"

"It's a vial, Dad," Tim argued. "How's it any different from every other vial?"

"_Au contraire, _junior detective," Harry said with a sly smile. "There are little differences in just about everything if you look closely enough, including vials. The color of the lid, how long it is, how thick…I can, with complete confidence, tell you that _this_vial is different from all the other vials I've found R in."

"Really?" Tim said skeptically.

Harry narrowed his eyes at Tim and then pointedly opened his drawer and took out an empty vial. Tim recognized it immediately; the vial of R that he had accidentally released on a group of Aipom when he had first come to Ryme City. Harry held it up to the new vial…and they looked completely different. The new one was longer and narrower, with a white cap instead of a black one.

Tim grumbled but consented. "Point."

Smugly, Harry typed _'laboratory vials'_into his laptop, and searched through common shopping websites, checking their photos and comparing their vials to his. Tim put his head in his hand and leaned over the table, impatiently waiting for his Dad to give up on this ridiculous idea. Pikachu, however, leaned over the laptop and watched closely.

"Found it!"

"Wait, what?" Tim's head shot up.

"Pi, Pikachu!" Pikachu cried in triumph.

Tim leaned over the laptop and, sure enough, his Dad had found an advertisement for the exact vials. Harry gave Tim a satisfied smile. "These vials are manufactured in the Hoenn region. _Fancy."_He opened up another tab. "Now we just look up labs near Ryme City."

"Labs?" Tim asked. "Like Dr. Laurent's lab? There are _more?"_

"Oh yeah, scads and scads of labs, they're everywhere, Tim." His Dad waved a hand. "Pokémon labs are all over the place. I mean, where do you think all that medical research in Pokémon Centers came from? We learn new things about Pokémon_every single day,_of course there are labs. And Ryme City being, well, a _city,_has even _more_labs."

Tim looked at the map, and saw that many of the labs were a fair distance from the city. "How come they're so far away?"

"For safety," his Dad answered, clicking on a few and reading through their websites. "It can be dangerous to work with Pokémon, especially if you're testing the limits like that."

Tim thought of the superpowered Greninja and overgrown Torterra garden at Dr. Laurent's lab and couldn't help but agree. "Why didn't we just head straight to these places?"

"Well, for one thing, we didn't know for sure that there was _any_more R out there." His Dad opened up another tab and brought up a different lab's website. "And also, I'd like to narrow it down so we know what to pay attention to. _Ah_. Here we go."

Tim leaned over and looked at the screen. "_'Ryme City Grass-Type Laboratory.'_You think that's it?"

"That's our lead," Harry said with a smirk of satisfaction. "We'll check it out in the morning." He slapped his laptop closed. "But it's still too early to turn in. Want to watch a detective movie?"

OOO

An hour and a half later, Tim headed back to his room. He, his Dad, and Pikachu had curled up on the couch, eating great big bowls of Casteliacone ice cream and watching a cheesy old detective movie. In the middle of it, they had gotten into an argument over who the culprit was, and Harry had turned out to be right. Now, Tim was fairly beat. An illegal stadium, an Aipom chase, an encounter with Mewtwo, a dressing-down from Detective Yoshida, a disastrous cooking adventure with his Dad…all a regular day in the city.

Tim pushed open his bedroom door, and saw Mewtwo staring at him through the darkness, perched on his open window like a statue on a cathedral, waiting for him.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Mewtwo

The Aipom's lead turned out to be a dead end. When Mewtwo went to the edge of the docks, he waited for any humans to show up, but none did. Perhaps the Aipom he released had warned them, or maybe the other got back and they fled. Again, his cells had slipped through his grasp. He tried to reconcile that he had at least retrieved and destroyed one of the vials.

Once he had given up on waiting, he had scoured the docks for any more traces of his cells. He had methodically flown through each warehouse, but every sign was stale and untraceable. Once the sun had set, Mewtwo had flown back into the city and tracked down the detectives' apartment. Having spent a little time with both humans, their minds were recognizable to him now. With focus, Mewtwo could easily differentiate them from the nebula of other psyches. He had waited atop their apartment building, feeling the two presences mingle together below, trading warmth and contentment. He was grateful that they lived in a less busy area of the city, so there wasn't much activity for Mewtwo to avoid. Once they had split apart, he had flown down to the boy's window, unlocked it from the other side, and slipped in easily.

**_You seem surprised to see me, human,_**Mewtwo commented as the boy blinked repeatedly at him, as if Mewtwo were simply some dust on the eye that could be wiped away. **_I told you I would come._**

Now that Mewtwo was giving the boy a chance, he would have to be sure to pay more attention to the human's psyche. He wouldn't invade, of course, but raw emotions and loud thoughts strayed from the mind like heat from a star. Such little tips gave Mewtwo an edge in awareness and control. As of now, the boy felt mainly surprise, a small flare of irritation, and a little worry over getting caught.

The boy glanced back into the hall and hurriedly slipped into the room, closing the door behind him. "I didn't expect you to come _barging_into my room like this," the boy said crossly.

Mewtwo scoffed as he slid down from the window, fully entering the boy's bedroom. **_Did you 'expect' me to knock on the front door?_**

"This is technically called breaking and entering, which is illegal."

Mewtwo didn't bother with strange human conceptualizations. **_I have not broken anything. _**He had unlocked the window with his psychic powers. It still worked fine.**_Is 'entering' illegal?_**

The human sighed and shook his head. Mewtwo briefly wondered if it was to answer no, or a sign of resignation. Probably the latter.

But that was all immaterial. Mewtwo got to the point as to why he had agreed to enter this human hive. **_You told me that you could be of use to me in searching for my cells. If you wish for us to work together, you best convince me quickly. What do you believe you can contribute?_**

"There are _lots_of ways we could help each other." The human walked past Mewtwo and closed the window, before pulling a chair out from the desk and thumping down into it. Mewtwo crossed his arms, flicking his tail side to side impatiently, and waited for what the human had to impart. "My Dad managed to catch the other Aipom and get the R—"

**_He did?_**Mewtwo suddenly straightened in interest. He immediately reached across his surrounding with his mind and, sure enough, he could sense his cells in the proximity. _That_was why he hadn't found them earlier at the docks. They were here, he could go retrieve them right now—

"Wait!" the boy leapt out of his chair and jumped up in front of Mewtwo right as he turned to the door. The human got a little too close for comfort again, and Mewtwo stepped back, irked at the boy's invasion of his personal space. Realization sparked in the child's eyes as he must have figured out what Mewtwo would now do. "You can't just _take_the R—"

**_I certainly can,_**Mewtwo hissed into his mind. **_And there is nothing you can do to stop me._**

Mewtwo was _this close_to simply tossing the boy aside again when the child lifted his hands and spoke placatingly. "Yes, but hear me out."

'_Hear me out.'_Was this boy, this _human,_worth listening to? Mewtwo had come here to see how he could be of any help. But now he knew where some of his cells were, in the possession of humans, and it was paramount he retrieve them immediately. Mewtwo had been through too much to allow humans to have his cells. Why did this boy think he could convince Mewtwo otherwise?

But at least the boy acknowledged that he couldn't _physically_stop Mewtwo. The immediate yield to Mewtwo's power made him pause, not used to reckless humans heeding his warnings. He had learned to strike first, or get struck.

Mewtwo was lashing his tail as the child spoke. "We were able to track down the laboratory the vial came from." Mewtwo blinked, having not expected that. "Or at least, where it _might _have come from. My Dad and I going to head there tomorrow. But if we hadn't gotten our hands on some of that R, we wouldn't have been able to figure that out. We _need_that R, for now. It's evidence. We're using it to find the rest."

**_Where is the laboratory?_**Mewtwo asked immediately. He was hardly paying attention now, trying to calculate how to wipe out the facility without drawing too much human attention, or allowing himself to be linked to its destruction. Perhaps a fire, like the conflagration Mewtwo had erected after his creation.

The boy opened his mouth, but then paused. He slowly closed it and looked at Mewtwo suspiciously. "What are you going to do?"

**_It needs to be destroyed,_**Mewtwo answered simply. The human's eyes widened in alarm. **_Not a trace of my cells can remain._**

For a moment the human was speechless. Mewtwo could feel his mind reeling. He regained the ability just before Mewtwo was going to move past him. "You can't do that! Innocent people and Pokémon are there!"

Mewtwo growled deeply, his mood darkening. **_You said you wanted to get the chemical away from humans. This is the priority. I must accomplish it. _**Mewtwo knew his eyes were starting to glow blue. He began to press against the human's mind, preparing to steal the information, if need be. **_Tell me where the lab is._**

"We don't even _know_that R is there," the human argued, and that gave Mewtwo a pause. As much as he wanted to find his cells, he also didn't want to bring attention to himself any more than necessary. Demolishing a laboratory would certainly do that. The human saw his hesitancy and pressed on. "And, if they do have it, what if this lab knows where more R is? We could investigate them and track it down. But not if they're…" the human swallowed, "…_destroyed."_

Mewtwo thought about that for a moment. The reason he had come here, seeking the help of a human, was because he had wanted to find his cells _faster._But now it seemed he had to _wait._An annoying juxtaposition.

But, then again, Mewtwo wouldn't have even _known_about the laboratory without this human. Mewtwo's current search for his cells was merely flying around the city looking for them. But now, he had a destination to actually look into. The boy had already proven he had _some_use. So perhaps Mewtwo would give him some credit in return.

**_…Very well,_**Mewtwo relented. **_I will allow you to investigate this laboratory. _**The human let loose a pent-up breath. **_But—_**Mewtwo added warningly, **_I told you that I will not leave my cells in human hands. Hand over the ones your father retrieved._**

"What?" barked the human. He looked aghast. "But without that vial, we wouldn't have been able to find the lab. Can't you see that?"

**_Yes, _**Mewtwo granted, **_but I still cannot allow you to keep them. It is irrevocable._**

"That vial is prime evidence," the human annoyingly persisted. But then, he changed his argument. "Besides, my Dad is keeping it. There's no way either of us can take it without him noticing. I thought you wanted to keep yourself a secret from him."

Another good point. Again, Mewtwo was derailed from his goal. Although the boy's father had rescued Mewtwo, the detective _had_captured him in the first place. Mewtwo had saved him from his Greninja pursuers, although he still didn't precisely _trust_the father. He would rather the older human be left out of this. He supposed he could take the vial and then erase the father's memory of it, but the vial was tangled up in the investigation. It would be impossible to do so without erasing much of the research from the human's mind, which meant he wouldn't investigate the laboratory he had traced the vial to.

One thing was for sure, though; these two humans wouldn't use Mewtwo's cells for anything. They didn't have the intelligence or resources to try cloning something. Mewtwo lashed his tail and took a threatening step closer to the boy. **_Fine. I will—ephemerally—allow you to keep my cells. But I expect them to be returned to me once you no longer need them. Am I clear?_**

The boy gave a slow blink. "What does 'ephemerally' mean?"

Mewtwo lifted his chin. **_You humans do not even know your own language._**

"You asked me if I understood!" the boy said defensively. "I just want to be sure that I do."

Mewtwo almost rolled his eyes. **_Temporarily. Lasting only a short time._**

"Oh," the boy said. "Why didn't you just say _that?"_

Mewtwo allowed a small smile. **_Forgive my erudition._**

"Where do you _get_these words?" the human asked exasperatingly.

Mewtwo didn't bother to answer, but pressed a different goal. **_Now that I have agreed not to destroy the laboratory, will you tell me where it is?_**

The human looked up at him. "Do you promise?"

Mewtwo hesitated, not liking the idea of promising a human anything. _They_were the ones who lied, who broke their deals. But the boy _did_have a point. Mewtwo needed to be thorough when tracking his cells. This laboratory could not only have some, but lead him to more.

That, and he didn't _want_to direct his wrath on those who didn't deserve it. Finally, he nodded. **_I give you my word._**

The human smiled at him, making Mewtwo feel uneasy, before he went back to his desk and took out a laptop. Mewtwo stepped forward and looked over the human's shoulder while he typed. Mewtwo was familiar enough with human technology; during his quest to remake the world, he had created his own supercomputers and advanced clones. He hadn't dabbled in it for years, but being in the city and seeing the latest advancements…intrigued him. It had been over a decade since he had last inspected human technology, yet it appeared to have made salient improvements.

The boy pulled up a map of the city, and then zoomed out several times, before tracing a road with his finger. Mewtwo skimmed little descriptions of the city and the areas around it, linking them to his own observations of the area. Finally, the boy tapped on a little dot far outside the dense cluster of labels. "Ryme City Grass-Type Laboratory. That's the only lab near Ryme City that uses the kind of vial we found the R in. Not even Dr. Laurent's lab did. It's not proof that they have anything to do with R, but it's a good start."

Mewtwo narrowed his eyes at the human's back. **_You do not seem confident._**

"Well, _anyone_can order vials," the boy said, turning back to Mewtwo. "This is just the only place that had a direct link to one we found. I might be _more_confident if had more to go on…like if we had the other vial?"

Mewtwo had already destroyed it, so there was no point in even discussing that. **_Do not press your luck, human._**

The boy scoffed, actually _scoffed_at Mewtwo. He frowned at the child, who was looking quite petulant. "Would you have found it if you hadn't been following me?"

Technically no. Mewtwo had been about to leave the stadium… If the boy and his father hadn't appeared, he would have missed his cells entirely. But he refused to admit such a thing.

**_Would_you_have gotten it if I had not been there? _** Mewtwo shot back instead.**_The Pokémon had escaped from you. I was the one who captured it._**

"Hey," the boy said offendedly, uncrossing his arms and sitting up. "I _might_have caught it if you hadn't interfered."

**_I highly doubt that. You do not even have a Pokémon of your own._**

Something crossed the boy's face that was hard to read—guilt? Regret? Even with what Mewtwo could sense of the boy's mind, it was a tangle of emotions. It caught Mewtwo's attention, and he tilted his head curiously. **_Why _don't_you have a Pokémon? _**Not that Mewtwo _wanted_humans to have Pokémon, but he didn't think he had ever heard of a human without one. Especially in this city, where people and Pokémon walked side-by-side.

"I never thought I needed one," the human mumbled, ducking his head.

Mewtwo had never heard _that_before. Humans were weak creatures, incapable of moves and physically impotent. The fact that stronger Pokémon were subservient to the weakling humans frustrated Mewtwo to no end. Yes, yes, they were _partners_and _friends,_but the humans did still heavily rely on Pokémon in order to accomplish anything. They were as weak as a Kangaskhan's cub. Yet this one here was _independent?_Mewtwo barely hid the extent his shock.

The human didn't notice Mewtwo's stare as he turned back to the laptop. The boy's mind was nervous and shy, as if embarrassed by admitting it. "As I said, my Dad and I are headed to the lab tomorrow. We'll look into it and see if we can find any R."

Mewtwo took a moment to draw his focus away from the fact that this human had no Pokémon partner, and tried to bring his mind to the topic at hand.

**_I will go as well,_**Mewtwo said. The boy whipped his head around but Mewtwo lifted a hand before he could object. **_I promised you I would not destroy the laboratory. But if that dangerous chemical _is_there, you will need assistance. I will remain close should you need me._**

Mewtwo realized that it _sounded_like he was offering to protect the human. Which he was not. He just wanted his cells as soon as possible.

"Alright," the human conceded. He lifted his hand to close his laptop, then paused. "What are you going to do tonight, then?"

Mewtwo narrowed his eyes at the boy. The human was being stupid. **_Go to the laboratory._**

"It will take you an hour to get there, tops," the human put a hand on his hips. Actually, it would likely take Mewtwo less than ten minutes. "So you're just going to sit there all night?"

**_To ensure that I am not seen by humans, it is best I travel at night._**

The human's suspicion relaxed a fraction. "Still, the night's not even halfway through yet." Mewtwo never would have guessed the next thing the boy dared to say. "Why don't you stay here?"

Mewtwo just stared blankly at him. Sleep here? Leave himself vulnerable? Anywhere _near_a human? **_That is preposterous._**

"Then where _are_you going to spend the night?" the boy pressed. "In the woods outside the lab? In a warehouse?"

**_Unlike a human, I do not need to be infantilized, _**Mewtwo said irritably. The boy had nothing else to show him, so Mewtwo drew himself up, preparing to leave. But first he pointed one of his fingers down at the boy. **_You have proven that you can help me. So I will work with you to retrieve my cells. But you may not reveal my existence to anyone. Once they are found, _all_of them will be returned to me. Is that understood?_**

The boy nodded. "Sure."

Mewtwo accepted the casual answer with a twitch of his tail and psychically flicked the window open. Perching himself on it, he paused and gave a glance back over his shoulder before he left. **_I am trusting you, human. Guard my cells carefully, and find the rest. _**On his last words, Mewtwo lowered his voice, making a clear suggestion of a threat. Then he leapt from the building and flew off.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Tim

Mewtwo vanished into the night like a legendary Pokémon from a children's book. The tales often painted legendary Pokémon as protectors, filled with ancient wisdom and benevolent power. Though Mewtwo was certainly as formidable and intense as the legendary myths, he was a lot darker than a children's story.

_'There is nothing you can do to stop me.'_

Tim shivered as the words echoed back to him. It was true, Mewtwo was strong enough that he couldn't be _forced_to stop, but Tim was starting to figure out that he could be _convinced_to stop. Tim was still a little stunned at how casually Mewtwo had planned destruction for a laboratory that was _hinted_to have his cells. He was grateful he'd been able to talk the clone out of it. That raging power wasn't without a logical mind. So Tim had to stick with the menacing legendary Pokémon, and act as some kind of moral compass. Not that he was a goody-two-shoes; Tim knew he had his own flaws. But Mewtwo needed _someone._

_Does he?_Tim's mind whispered. The Pokémon was very independent and would hate any suggestion otherwise. Mewtwo was extremely mistrustful of humans, borderline resentful, though Tim didn't really know why. Obviously, he had been abused by Clifford Enterprises, but Mewtwo's anger seemed more deep-seeded than that. He was over twenty years old, and everyone knew he had been manmade, rumored to have been crafted by a shady organization in Kanto. Tim didn't know much about the Pokémon's creation, but he could imagine that 'genetic experimentations' done by criminals wasn't a great environment for a newborn. Mewtwo hated humans and would never agree to a partner—

_Whoa, whoa, where did _that _come from?_Tim shook his head; perhaps he was more tired than he thought. He may be considering the idea of a Pokémon partner, but, Mewtwo's own reservations aside, Mewtwo was difficult to handle. He was hostile, mistrustful, and strictly autonomous. Even the most friendly of trainers would struggle to get along with Mewtwo.

Tim sighed and rubbed his forehead. He needed rest; he had another big day tomorrow. He started to get up, then froze and looked back at his computer. After a little deliberation, he sat back down and typed in,

_'What does erudition mean?'_

OOO

Pikachu loved car rides.

That was one thing Tim had noticed during his time with _actual_Pikachu. The little Mouse Pokémon loved to sit on Tim's lap and lift his head to the open window, feeling the wind run through his fur, like a prideful Furfrou. He was careful with his detective's cap, though, and lodged it firmly in the cupholder before delighting himself with the breeze. Harry told Tim the story of a time Pikachu had lost his cap while they had been driving, and had leapt onto the steering wheel to demand Harry's attention. Harry had nearly crashed the car, but Pikachu refused to budge until they turned around and went back for the cap. It had been an unpleasant experience for both of them, so now…_never again._

Pikachu watched the passing scenery, and occasionally called out to the Pokémon outside. Unlike when Tim and Lucy had driven to Dr. Laurent's lab, surrounded by bare, dry fields, this road wove through a forest. Pokémon were _everywhere. _Wild flying-types claimed the skies, like social Pidgeys, swooping Taillows, restful Pidoves, energetic Fetchlings, and countless more. Tim tried to spot and identify as many as he could. Bug-type Pokémon were warming themselves up in the early sunlight. He noticed several drowsy Caterpie, a few soft-voiced Wurmple, herds of rumbling Paras, and a few Sewaddle weaving their silk. Harry drove them past a pond inhabited by Duckletts and Lotads quacking at each other, Surskits that skimmed over the water's surface, and Yanmas zipping back and forth. It was early enough that Tim spotted a few ghost-type Pokémon that were still out, like languid Drifloons.

"Pokémon laboratories can also provide reserves for wild Pokémon," his Dad told him. "That way, the labs get wild Pokémon to research, lots of space to work, and wild Pokémon get the habitats they deserve."

"Wow," Tim said, watching a flock of Kricketot musically converse. In the brief moment that the car passed the bug-types, xylophone-like music cheerfully drifted in through the windows.

Tim knew a lot about Pokémon, but his profession was more in battling than research. He knew the rules of battles, the moves Pokémon knew, the type advantages, the best breeds…the variables of battles went on and on. Of course, Pokémon research tied into that, but Tim had never looked into it with the same intensity.

As they drove further into the city, Tim noticed an increase of grass-types. Oddish that had their faces buried in the ground, Bellsprout that were trying to look innocent while luring in their bug-type prey, Seedot hanging from trees, Petilil and Shroomish enjoying damp soil near a stream, and cheerful, bundling Bounsweet.

"Well I guess it's called a 'grass-type' lab for a reason," Tim commented.

"I'm certain they encourage the grass-type population as much as possible," his Dad said. He took one hand from the steering wheel to point at what looked like a little doll house on the ground, nestled by the trunk of a tree. "Look, there's a feeder. It's probably stuffed with food that grass-types love."

"Dad—_watch the road!"_

Tim had just noticed a few Deerling up on the road, and _of course,_rather than doing the sensible thing and jumping out of the way, they froze up in fear. Tim's Dad slammed on the breaks and the momentum wrenched them all forward. Tim grabbed Pikachu and held onto the little Pokémon tight, its surprise shocking at his arms.

"PIKACHUUUUU!"

But they managed to come to a halt before they reached the petrified Deerling. All three of them were breathing heavily, hearts pounding.

Harry groaned and thumped his forehead on the wheel. "That gave me so much _deja vu_," he moaned. "I swear, the bridge flashed before my eyes and I thought Mewtwo was going fly down."

Tim coughed at the mention of Mewtwo, but his Dad was too miserable to notice his awkwardness.

Recovering from their stupor, the Deerling exchanged glances with each other confusingly. Their pelts were green for the summer, and their herd numbered about a dozen, spread out on the road.

Harry shook his head and then stuck his head out the window. "Hey! Deerling!" he called to them, honking his horn a few times. "Do you think you can move _off_the road?"

The Deerling stared at him. A few of them blinked.

Harry sighed and thumped back into his seat. "It's times like this I wish I could talk to Pokémon again."

"Hey, look," Tim said, pointing up the road, beyond the oblivious Deerling. "There's the lab; it's just up ahead."

His Dad squinted his eyes. "Oh yeah…"

Tim passed Pikachu over to his Dad and got out of the car. He lifted his arms in a gentle but shepherding manner and began to redirect the Deerling off the road. "Come on, please move…"

They were friendly Pokémon, but wild enough that they didn't want to get particularly close to an unfamiliar human. In no time, they were frolicking away. Once Tim was back in the car, they continued up the road to the lab.

The laboratory building was designed in an L shape, but a lot of space around it was closed in with gardens. A few of the enclosures had nets over them, others simply had fences. Tim saw a Gogoat and its young Skiddo prancing along the edge of the fence, and many grass-type starter-Pokémon relaxing or playing within.

Pikachu perched himself up on Harry's shoulder as they walked inside. In the entry room, no one was there except an elegant Lurantis behind a desk inspecting its sickle-like arms. It looked up at them as they entered, green antennae twitching with interest.

"Hey there," Harry said friendlily. "We're here to see the scientists of the labs." He fished out a sticky note and strained his eyes to read his own sloppy handwriting. "A Dr. Alexis, Dr. Drew, and Dr. Richard."

The Lurantis nodded and tip-toed out of the room, leaving them be for a few minutes. Tim glanced around and noticed several examples of plant life displayed: Paras mushrooms, Cottonee cotton, and whatnot.

It wasn't long before the Lurantis returned with a woman in a lab coat. It could only be Dr. Alexis; she had several freckles from the sun, glasses with bronze leaves on them, and dirty-colored hair like the earth tied back in a braid. With the way the Lurantis kept in step with her, Tim got the feeling they were partners.

"Hello there," Dr. Alexis said, stopping before them and folding her hands in front of her. She smiled kindly, but her expression was clearly questioning. "I'm Dr. Patricia Alexis, head researcher of the Grass-Type Laboratory. I'm very surprised to see we have visitors; people don't normally come out this far."

Harry returned her smile. "Yeah, I bet." He did not seem the least bit apologetic or awkward. "My name's Harry Goodman, and this is my son, Tim. And this is Pikachu."

"Pikachu!"

Dr. Alexis's skepticism melted a bit at the sight of endearing Pikachu. After all, who could resist that face?

Tim's Dad continued. "You see, I'm a detective." He took out his badge to show her, and Dr. Alexis blinked in surprise. Behind her, Lurantis tilted its head curiously. "We're working on a case, and we found a chemical at an illegal battle stadium. The vial it was in matches the ones used here, so if you can, we would really appreciate it if you let us have a quick look around."

Tim stopped himself from glancing at his father as he heard the words. It was all the truth, but his Dad was framing it as if they were more concerned about the illegal stadium than the chemical. It was a lot less complicated than saying they were hunting the material that Clifford Enterprises had used to terrorize Rhyme City. It would also be less likely to send any culprits into a panic if they heard it.

Dr. Alexis looked concerned, which was understandable that her laboratory had just been linked to illegal activity. "I can certainly show you around; we do tours fairly often, although usually scheduled on certain days. It won't be a problem to give you one."

"That's a big help," Harry gave a bright smile.

"If you'll please follow me, then." Dr. Alexis turned and went through the door from which she had come, the Lurantis returning to its place behind the desk. Tim and his Dad followed her down a hall of windows and glass doors that showed the enclosures outside. Outside, a Bulbasaur appeared to be trying to resolve some sort of argument between a Treecko and a Snivy. Both of the Pokémon were growling at each other, while the Bulbasaur hurriedly bumbled between them.

"So, what kind of research do you do here?" Harry asked, comfortably sliding his hands into his pockets.

Tim shot his Dad a look. "Grass-type research, Dad?"

His father frowned at him as Dr. Alexis chuckled. "I meant _specifically,_Tim."

"I mean, he is right," Dr. Alexis pointed out. "But we mostly focus our research on grass-type's health recovery abilities. Some grass-type moves drain health from other Pokémon sources, like Absorb, Horn Leech, and Giga Drain, while other moves are independent, like Ingrain and Synthesis."

She paused by an indoor enclosure across from the sunny windows. Inside, the lighting was extremely dim and the glass was shaded to keep it out. Tim leaned in to see through the darkness, but all he could see were mushrooms. Then he realized that the mushrooms were actually Morelull; he had seen some of these when the wild Bulbasaur had been leading him to Mewtwo. They were still asleep, half-buried in the ground but glowing gently. There was even a larger, brighter mushroom near the back. It had to be a Shiinotic, Morelull's evolved form.

"Our focus is to search for new uses of these abilities, but this laboratory also harvests known medicines from the grass-type Pokémon that live here, and we distribute them to Ryme City markets. Some of these medicines are straight from the Pokémon, like Sleep Powder, while others we mix together here on site."

"Like what?" Tim asked curiously.

Dr. Alexis took a moment to think. "Well, the flowers of Lilligant have an aroma that eases stress, for example," she explained. She began to walk further down the hallway, Tim and his Dad following. "But its flowers are difficult to care for, and do best in the wild. So we collect some from the ones that live here, on the reserve, and mix it with other stress-relievers to spread the effect. There's also the sweat of a Bounsweet, which is very popular as a cooking ingredient for its sweetness."

"Its _sweat?"_Tim repeated, astounded.

Dr. Aelxis gave an embarrassed smile. "Yes; but we have to purify all that we gather before we sell it."

Tim exchanged looks with his Dad; he could tell his father was feeling as queasy as he was. Tim could think of several sweet drinks that could contain such a thing.

Dr. Alexis went on, leading them down the hall, oblivious to their disturbance. Tim focused on her words to distract himself from this horrifying revelation. "And then we also gather cotton from Cottonee, thread from Sewaddle, berries from Cherubi, bitter but refreshing leaves that grow on Petilil, Sleep Spore from several kinds of grass-types, and many other things."

She then frowned apologetically at them. "I'm afraid with all the materials we send to Ryme City, the illegal stadium could have easily bought one of our vials. Perhaps they ordered medicine from us or one of our distributors."

"Yes, that is most likely," Harry nodded casually. "But still, it's useful to know what other kind of things they might have bought. If we could just see a little more?"

"Certainly," Dr. Alexis nodded. "Whatever you need."

She stopped by another indoor enclosure, this one even bigger, filled with sand, and extremely bright light. Inside, a Maractus and Cacnea were building a sandcastle together.

"This is incredible work," Harry said. "Is there any chance we could meet the other scientists here?"

"Of course," Dr. Alexis nodded, continuing down the hall. She reached a door near the end and lead them through. Inside was a laboratory, neatly stuffed with monitors, tools, chemicals. Two scientists and their two Pokémon were intently watching a Snover on a table. The Snover sat upon a tray of dirt, and Tim could see roots growing from Snover's feet into the soil.

All five of them looked up as Tim, his Dad, and Dr. Alexis entered. The first scientist had short black hair, pale skin, icy blue eyes, and silver glasses. Beside him was a Shiftry, and both he and the Pokémon narrowed their eyes skeptically at the newcomers. The other scientist was a blond man with brown eyes, his hair fairly long and scruffy. His cheerful air and joyous face made Tim wonder if he had come from a beach. Next to him was an Amoonguss, bobbing its large mushroom cap.

Dr. Alexis waved her hand at the scientist with the Shiftry. "This is Dr. Peter Richard," she said, and then gestured to the blond man, "and Dr. Jacob Drew." She then turned to her coworkers. "This is Harry and Tim Goodman. They're detectives following up on a lead of an illegal stadium in Ryme City."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried from Harry's shoulder.

The edges of Dr. Alexis's mouth turned upward in a smile. "Right, and Pikachu, too."

"Pleasure to meet you!" Dr. Drew gave a wide smile and immediately walked around the table with his hand outstretched. He shook both Tim's and his Dad's hands firmly. "We're always happy to have visitors here." He gave a teasing wink. "Better than watching grass grow."

"What's this about an illegal stadium?" Dr. Richard interrupted as Harry opened his mouth. The more serious scientist set down his clipboard and pushed up his glasses.

"They found one of our vials there," Dr. Alexis spoke up.

"Exactly," Harry said. Despite Dr. Richard's skeptical look, Harry remained completely casual and at ease. Tim tried to imitate it. "So we decided to come see what kind of things might have been in the vial."

"What are you up to here?" Tim asked, tilting his head at the Snover. It was sitting there on the dirty-tray, watching them all with mild interest, but looking quite contented.

"Ah," Dr. Drew said, putting a hand on Tim's shoulder so he could adjust Tim to look at the Snover's feet. "We're testing the move Ingrain, and how different soils affect how much health this Snover here can recover."

Dr. Richard sniffed and then pointed to little miniature signs in the tray of dirt. "Each kind of soil is from different regions or terrains and clearly labeled so." The paler scientist lifted up a monitor and held it up to the Snover's roots, watching the information scroll on the screen. Once he had read the report, he picked up his clipboard again and jotted some things down.

Tim thought that seemed…rather boring. Yes, he supposed it would be interesting to _know,_but _doing_it? Sorting dirt and watching roots? He wondered if these scientists were truly passionate about their work enough to care.

"Dr. Richard is our more technical researcher," Dr. Alexis explained. "He gets the most precise data, and mixes up a lot of our medicines. Dr. Drew actually professes more with poison-types, and how to reverse the effects of such poison. We sorely need that, as many grass-types know poison-type moves and may resort to them when they are afraid or territorial."

"And you?" asked Harry.

"I do a lot of field research and observation of Pokémon in their natural habitat," Dr. Alexis said with a fond smile. "I also tend to the reserve." She pointed to a basket of Dusk Pokéballs in the corner of the room. "During the storm yesterday, a cavern that was home to many Zubat became flooded, and many of the poor things were hurt. So I brought them here. I've been tending to them, and soon they'll be back to full health." She gave a wistful smile. "That's my real passion, but research is vital, too."

"That's amazing," Harry said. His friendly attitude faded a little and he got more serious. "Now, if I may ask you…do any of you know Dr. Laurent?"

Tim could tell his Dad was watching their reactions, but it didn't reveal anything as all three of the scientists blinked in surprise.

"Dr. Laurent?" repeated Dr. Richard. He seemed to know that Harry was fishing for something, and he was trying to figure out what.

"All researchers around Ryme City have at least _heard_of each other," Dr. Drew said. "And we meet occasionally, to exchange our studies and results."

"But Dr. Laurent was especially reclusive," Dr. Alexis said apologetically. "I don't even _know_what she was working on. I only heard about the explosion in her lab a week after it happened. It's very sad."

According to public knowledge, Dr. Laurent's lab had merely been destroyed by a rampaging Pokémon, though not specifically Mewtwo. Nobody else even knew the clone had been there. The lab, to open knowledge, was entirely unconnected to the parade event three weeks ago, although it wouldn't take much to guess that the place was the source of R. Without this coverup, though, the abandoned building would undoubtedly be flooded with people looking for clues about the mysterious legendary Mewtwo. Tim was glad that wasn't the case, as he wouldn't wish violent Greninja or earth-shaking Torterra on anyone.

"Pokémon are dangerous creatures," Dr. Richard shrugged off without looking up from his clipboard. "No matter how much we like to think of them as our little pets."

"Lighten up, Peter!" Dr. Drew chuckled.

Dr. Richard sniffed in a way that reminded Tim of Mewtwo. "We do have _work_to do, you know."

"Don't let us keep you from your important roots and dirt any longer," Harry lifted his hands and began to back out. Dr. Richard frowned at him, and Dr. Drew snickered. "Thanks for your time."

"I'll show you out," Dr. Alexis said.

Once they were back in the entry room, Tim and his Dad said their farewells and thank-yous to Dr. Alexis.

"I'm glad I could be of help," she said, giving a little bow. "Good luck on your case."

"Thanks," Harry called as they headed out the door.

Tim held his tongue from blurting out questions until he was in the car with his father, doors closed and windows rolled up. "Do you think they're innocent as they say?"

Harry leaned back in his seat, watching the laboratory. "It seems like a nice place trying to do some good for the world. But not everything is as it seems."

Tim tilted his head. "They were all friendly, except Dr. Richard. But that doesn't mean he's hiding illegal chemicals."

"Yeah…" his Dad muttered, starting up the car. Pikachu slid off his shoulder and got up on Tim's lap again. "If they _are _hiding R, I don't think it's the entire facility, just one or _maybe _two of them. We didn't see anything to suggest they have anything to do with the chemical, but I don't think we should take our eyes off this place. Something's up. I feel it in my—"

"Don't say jellies."

"Fine. I can feel it in my jams."

Tim groaned and put his head in his hands. Harry was smiling smugly as they pulled out and began to head down the road. Tim leaned back into his seat, holding onto Pikachu as the little Pokémon perched himself up by the window, relaxing for the trip back.

But then—Tim _sensed_something. It made him look up and glance around. He couldn't really describe it; it was like a light was flashing in the corner of his eye or the chill when a ghost-type passed through your body. He thought he saw something move within the forest and almost felt like he was being _called._

**_You are…_**

There was an odd, echoey feeling in the back of his mind, and that's when Tim remembered—Mewtwo. Mewtwo said he would wait around the lab. He would want to know what Tim had discovered inside.

"Hey—Dad?" Tim asked, swallowing. This was totally suspicious, but he didn't want to keep Mewtwo waiting. Not after the legendary Pokémon had threatened to destroy the place.

"What's up, kid?" Harry asked.

"Do you think we could—stop, for a bit?" Tim bit on his lip. "There are so many cool Pokémon near here, I want to take a closer look. Do you mind?"

Without a word, Harry pulled the car to the side of the road. He grinned at Tim, looking oddly delighted. "Sure, Tim. I'll stay right here and see if I can find any ties between the Grass-Type Laboratory and Clifford Enterprises." Harry opened the compartment with his laptop. "You have fun, take your time."

His Dad had a sly smile on his face and Tim realized that his father probably thought Tim was going to search for a Pokémon partner. Here was a good place to do it. Tim felt an unpleasant wave of guilt at lying to his father, but turned and got out of the car, Pikachu waving goodbye.

Tim walked straight into the woods, knowing that Mewtwo would show himself only when he wanted and not a second before. It was less than a minute before a shadow crossed over him, and Tim looked up to see the commanding legendary Pokémon drifting down to him.

**_Human,_**Mewtwo greeted. **_We have much to share._**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: Mewtwo

The human began blathering at once, before Mewtwo could reveal his own information.

"Right, my Dad and I took a tour of the place," the boy began. "We saw what they were studying, what they were making, and the Pokémon that live there. There are three researchers who work there, none of whom seem too suspicious. They didn't know Dr. Laurent that well. They told us that they sell a lot of medicine and things to Ryme City, so it's possible that the vial was bought with some of their product in it, only to be reused by the criminals to carry R."

**_That is all irrelevant,_**Mewtwo cast off. He didn't even bother to land as he spoke. **_Because I sense my cells within the building._**

Mewtwo could _feel_the shock coming off the human in psychic energy. The boy blinked in astonishment and glanced back in the direction of the laboratory, but it could not be seen through the trees. "Really? You're sure?"

**_Unquestioningly._**He had come to the lab late last night and sensed them almost immediately. Even now, Mewtwo debated with himself whether he should have taken them right then and there, yet the promise he had made to the human had echoed within his mind.

It was ridiculous that he let such a thing withhold him. Why was Mewtwo obligated to keep his word to a human? But every time he took the slightest step closer to the lab, planning on wrecking the place to retrieve his cells, his pernicious promise reverberated in his mind.

All night, he had lurked in the forest, yearning to storm the laboratory yet unable to. Perhaps it was because he remembered how the boy said this place could lead him to more of his cells. Or maybe Mewtwo was more reluctant than he thought to attack humans, even if they were scientists.

He had been unwilling to sleep, fearing that his cells might slip from his grasp, so there was little else for him to do but fume and contemplate the last day or so. What had led him to work with a human? Surely it was only a matter of time before the human revealed that Mewtwo was only a tool to him, an item, a primitive creature who should follow commands of a supposedly superior being. Any human who actually treated Mewtwo with respect was just being sycophantic, like Giovanni had been, at first. But Mewtwo wasn't like other servile Pokémon.

And yet…the boy did not have an unctuous Pokémon partner. He forced none to follow him, to serve him, to stay by him as if it were on a strangling leash. Instead, the boy did things on his own. If he refused to use Pokémon as tools, could he respect Mewtwo enough not to see him as one?

A preposterous idea. But it made Mewtwo curious. Perhaps that was why he had held to his promise and delayed his attack on the laboratory for the boy.

Still, now the boy was here. He had looked around the laboratory, Mewtwo had told him he had sensed his cells, so now the child would release Mewtwo from his promise and let him reclaim what was his.

Mewtwo flicked his tail and watched the boy impatiently as the human opened and closed his mouth. It didn't take long for Mewtwo's patience to run out. **_Why are you so surprised? _You_were the one who thought this place was holding my cells._**

"I know, but…" the boy looked at the ground, deep in thought. "The people there are doing a lot of good work. I think, and my Dad agrees with me, that _if_R is being hidden there, at least one of the scientists might be innocent."

Mewtwo waved a hand dismissively as he lowered himself to the ground, realizing this might take a while. **_That is also irrelevant. I have located my cells, which means—_**

"You still can't destroy the place," the boy said firmly.

It took Mewtwo a moment to comprehend that the boy had just tried to command him _again._Even after Mewtwo's unmistakable threat only yesterday.

Anger engulfed him in a thick, solid grip, like acid was in his veins, and he sprang back up into the air before looming down to the boy's face, hovering above the human. A strong wind picked up in response to his psychic rage, tearing its way through the trees, like a miniature hurricane had been summoned by Mewtwo's very emotions. He knew his eyes were shining blue with power.

When he spoke, it was with the voice that an ancient legendary might use to declare a perennial law of nature for the entire planet.

**_You, _human,_cannot tell _me_what I can or cannot do._**

Mewtwo could sense the human's fear in the air, see the boy shake and cower before him. Good. Despite the boy refusing a Pokémon partner, despite his choice to do things on his own rather than rely on Pokémon, he was _still_trying to give Mewtwo orders. He _was _like all the rest of them. It seemed all humans were naturally arrogant, having been born into a world where they ruled everything. Pretentious, conceited, egotistical things. Without even intending to do so, they assumed they had all the control and power. But Mewtwo was not one of their obsequious slaves.

"I—I didn't mean it that way," the child stammered, cowering in fear.

Mewtwo's forehead furrowed; what? His burning anger slowed from its riptide current, cautious and skeptical. How could the human's command be anything other than what it was—a command? An attempt to force Mewtwo into obedience, into servitude? Like Team Rocket, like Giovanni, like Howard Clifford, like Dr. Laurent.

Yet this human was not like the rapacious and vain humans Mewtwo had met in the past. He was naïve, he had no desires for power, and had never enslaved a Pokémon or even _had_one. In each of his encounters with Mewtwo, the boy did not try to force him or manipulate him into anything, but used reason and logic to convince him into a course of action that was beneficial to them both. What Mewtwo knew of the boy's character and what he believed of it was…discrepant.

Mewtwo's indecision let the boy recover from his terror and say more. "We—we both want to get the R, _all_the R, catch whoever's involved with it, and not hurt those who are innocent." Mewtwo mulled the words over and decided he agreed with all those priorities, but less so with the last one. He didn't _want_to hurt innocuous Pokémon or humans, but sometimes it couldn't be helped. He'd do it if it was necessary. "Destroying the laboratory would go against all of that."

Mewtwo paused, drawing back a few inches from the human's personal space, his anger slowly draining away as his more logical side pushed through it. He considered the words with circumspection. The human was right, if he destroyed the laboratory now, he may inadvertently lose leads to more of his cells. But if he didn't move fast enough, he feared they would slip through his grasp.

**_What do you suggest? _**Mewtwo asked, lowering himself back to the ground and crossing his arms. He could hear the human out, at least. Perhaps the boy had some kind of compromise.

Mewtwo waited as the human took a few deep breaths, a hand over where his heart would be. Mewtwo wondered if he may have subconsciously pressed into the human's mind in his attempt to intimidate the boy. He could still sense the child's fear, and he began to speculate if perhaps he had taken it a little too far. This human _had_led Mewtwo to this lab in the first place, and Mewtwo slowly realized the boy's command had been more of an attempt to protect the laboratory's innocents than to harness Mewtwo's will.

Perhaps he had…overreacted. It was easy to do, as he was used to deception and abuse from humans. Mewtwo was intuitively recalcitrant, but that was no reason to take it out on those who didn't deserve it.

Fine. Mewtwo would show more restraint with the boy, and not be so…hostile.

The boy was still hesitating, and Mewtwo could see him trembling. With an air of indifference that was entirely fake, Mewtwo said, **_My apologies for jumping to conclusions. That was…improper of me. I will attempt not to do so again._**

It was an olive branch, disguised as a careless bone tossed from the dinner table to a starving Herdier. Mewtwo couldn't remember the last time he had apologized, for anything. He didn't like doing it, so he made it seem as insignificant as he could. But the boy, this strange human, seemed to see the concession for what it was. He began to relax.

When the child finally caught his breath, he spoke. "Thanks. Apology accepted." Mewtwo flicked his tail and didn't comment. "So, we know the R is in there. We need to figure out exactly where it is, and who's involved with it." He paused and seemed to want to say more, but was reluctant to share it with Mewtwo.

**_Spit it out,_**Mewtwo huffed. **_I will hear you what you have to say, at least._**

"My Dad might be able to figure out the best way to do this," the boy said in a rush.

Mewtwo froze briefly, and then narrowed his eyes. **_If _you_cannot be of use to me, I fail to see how any other could._**

The boy flinched. "My Dad is a _real_detective. He has a lot more experience with this than I do."

Mewtwo remained still. **_And how do you plan to involve him?_**

"I need to tell him that the cells are _definitely_there." The boy's hands became fists of determination. "And that means telling him about my involvement with you."

**_No._**

The boy's shoulders slumped and his hands flew up in exasperation. "Come on, he's a _professional _detective!"

**_He is also a professional kidnapper,_**Mewtwo shot back tonelessly.

At that, the boy flinched. His eyes dropped away from Mewtwo's. "…My Dad told me he did that under false pretenses. He didn't know what Dr. Laurent and Howard Clifford would do to you."

**_And yet he caged me like a feral Hydreigon and then handed me over to them._**

"He rescued you once he knew what they were doing!"

Mewtwo nodded. **_And I rescued him in return. But I want nothing more to do with him._**

The human sighed in defeat. "Without your psychic senses to vouch, we have no evidence that the Grass-Type Laboratory has R. So I can't get my Dad to help."

Mewtwo watched guilt cross over the child's face, and felt the emotion flicker off the boy like little driblets of water. He looked so miserable, and for reasons that were completely beyond him, Mewtwo decided to bend a little.

**_Your father's input in the search for my cells would be…tolerable, _**Mewtwo said slowly. **_But I do not want him to be aware of my presence. Now that you _know_my cells are there, is there another way you can provide him with your evidence? _**Perhaps the boy could find a way to work around Mewtwo's requirements.

The human looked up at Mewtwo, confused. "Not really. I would need something that would suggest that the cells are there. From what the two of us just saw inside, everything seemed innocent."

**_Then perhaps I should inspect it myself,_**Mewtwo said, flexing his fingers. If he could get into the lab, he could find his cells easily. It was the humans inside that were the problem. The human—or humans—harboring his cells might escape, or otherwise elude justice. But if Mewtwo stole his cells back, preferably without the thieves knowing, and then lent them to the boy as 'evidence,' then the human officers could catch the culprits themselves. Mewtwo wouldn't have to worry about the criminals pursuing his power further; other humans could handle that job for him, meaning he wouldn't have to interact with more humans either. He could go back to his misanthropic ways.

But emphasis on _lend_his was disgusted at the thought of handing over his cells to any humans, but he had already been forced to let the detective keep some. More would not be harmful, he supposed, as long as they were destroyed eventually.

But first he needed to get the cells, and that meant getting into the lab.

The boy swallowed. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Mewtwo huffed and flicked his tail. **_I wouldn't harm any of them—_**

"But Mewtwo, you're not exactly _stealthy, _are you?"

The words gave Mewtwo a pause. **_Excuse me?_**

The boy shook his head. "You've been seen dozens of times by people in Ryme City. I found you in the warehouse almost the moment I walked in. I don't think you can sneak into the laboratory without getting caught."

Mewtwo stared at the human incredulously. This boy was doubting Mewtwo's _capabilities?_Him, the most powerful Pokémon to ever live? Mewtwo might have gotten angry again if it weren't for the fact that the boy had actual examples.

The human went on, as if it were perfectly normal to insult the strongest Pokémon in the world. "Let me look into the lab. If I find the R, I can show it to my Dad."

**_You already had your chance to search the place, _**Mewtwo growled, still somewhat insulted.

"That was just a look around. This time I'll _know_that it's there."

Mewtwo deliberated this for a long time. As much as it galled him, he had to admit he had little experience with remaining unseen. His power was so great that he tended to toss aside or plow through anything that got in his way. That was why he often chose to hide in the wilderness, far away from humans, but even then he was occasionally seen. Anyone who persistently came after him, he wiped the memory of. But that couldn't be the case here, as he needed the researchers' minds to be intact so he could learn where his other cells were.

**_I will remain here and watch the laboratory, _**Mewtwo stated finally. **_If I sense any movement of my cells, I will take action, with or without you, human. But you may have your second search._**

"Thank you!" the boy lit up and Mewtwo felt the relief and gratitude shining from him. "I'll return tonight—" the boy spoke the words as he thought them, constructing a plan, "—I'll say I forgot something. I'll need to find a way past the Lurantis…"

**_Again, I will sense it if you require any help, _**Mewtwo reminded him. He took a step forward. **_I am trusting you, human. Do not fail._**

"Thank you," the boy said sincerely. He glanced behind him. "I need to get going, before my Dad comes looking for me."

Mewtwo nodded and began to turn away himself, but the boy spoke again. "Wait a moment," the boy said, and Mewtwo paused. "Why do you call me 'human'?"

Mewtwo turned back around, unsure of what the boy meant. **_What?_**

"You always just refer to me as 'human,'" the boy said. He shrugged questioningly. "Why?"

The directness of what he was asking caused Mewtwo malaise, but he didn't show it. **_That is what you are._**

"My name is Tim."

Mewtwo felt a little frustration that his human was _correcting_him. **_I will call you what I wish._**

The boy frowned. "Right." He looked like he was going to say more, but then his cellular device began to screech, causing him to jump in alarm. Mewtwo raised an eyebrow as the boy practically danced to wiggle the phone out. One glance at it and he began to back up, heading to the road. "That's him. I'll be back tonight, Mewtwo—don't let anyone see you!"

Mewtwo was once again unpleasantly nonplussed at the human's blatant disrespect. The boy missed his disapproving look as he scurried away, leaving Mewtwo irritated and alone. He sighed, and then turned and flew deeper into the woods to wait even longer.

OOO

Mewtwo positioned himself in the branches of a tree and prepared for a long wait. He could see the laboratory from here, its white walls and flimsy pens, but was a safe distance away from it. This area, though it appeared as wilds, was littered with the controlling touch of humans. There were cameras, food dispensers, small shelters, collars…it was no wonder that weak little Pokémon felt at home here. They acted free, when really it was all an illusion as strong as a Zoroark's. Everything was cradled by the humans, dominated just as much as the compliant Pokémon in Pokéballs.

Mewtwo was careful, then, as he navigated this area. It was easy to fall into the deceptions of this place, to believe that he was in the wilderness. But there were motion-sensing cameras camouflaged into the trees like little Zygarde cells, and rods that monitored the ecosystem as diligently as the full Zygarde. That was one annoying weakness of his powers; Mewtwo could not sense machines. He was able to sense living creatures that came close to him, but he was as blind to machines as any other Pokémon here.

The Pokémon in this area avoided him fairly well, though. This place, where their survival and lives were practically handed to them, made them docile and peaceful. In the deep wilderness that Mewtwo often hid in, he often encountered untamed, ferocious Pokémon like Salamence, Gyarados, or Braviary. Those Pokémon had barely ever seen a human in their lifetime, and had earned their strength by unrestrained battles. They guarded their territory as fiercely as a legendary. Here, though, Mewtwo would be surprised to find a secondary evolution. The Pokémon were protected, and had no threats to face.

At least they recognized that Mewtwo was strong and inimical, and so they kept their distance. They also probably realized that he wasn't one of them—wasn't a true, natural Pokémon, despite what he may look like. So they steered clear. Mewtwo didn't mind; he had long gotten used to it, and it made things easier. There had been a few wild Pokémon over the years who had tried to reach out to him, uncertain of him but embedded with a friendly attitude that made them try, yet they all quickly found that Mewtwo was just beyond their understanding. Mewtwo had accepted that he belonged alone.

The closest exception had been the nest of Bulbasuar Mewtwo had encountered only a short time ago. Mewtwo didn't think there was a single species of Pokémon that was more amiable. After his escape from Dr. Laurent's laboratory, he had fled into the mountains and ended up in their den. Without a word, they had understood that he was injured, and cautiously allowed him to settle in their nest while he recovered from the experiments. When he had explained to them that he was waiting for a human, the boy, so that he could heal the detective, they had diligently kept an eye out, determined to help the detective. They had even managed to convince other Pokémon in the area to tolerate him, at least for a time. But even they kept their distance, not getting close to him unless truly necessary.

Real Pokémon disliked Mewtwo's origins, but it was not only that which ostracized him from his kind. He was solitary himself, his enhanced intelligence making him feel eternally misplaced among fellow Pokémon. And with humans…well, obviously that didn't work either.

The boy was proving himself acceptable, though. Mewtwo had barely been working with him for a day, and the child had pointed him right towards his cells. Mewtwo would never say it, but that earned some of his respect. As had the boy's reasonable attitude and independence. This was the longest Mewtwo had willingly engaged with a human in years…and, if he was reading the minute details of psychic energy correctly, it was forming a mental link between them.

Mewtwo would have to be cautious. But for now, the boy was proving vital.

_"You passing through, psychic?"_

Mewtwo looked up at a higher branch, where a Scyther was poised above him. Its bladelike arms were hooked on the wood, and its wings twitched in that common way of bug-types. Its dialect was one Mewtwo did not know, nor did he care about it.

Mewtwo considered for a moment, evaluating this wild Pokémon who was bold enough to confront him. It did not look strong enough to have such confidence, or young enough to be ignorant. Perhaps this was the rare breed of a friendly wild Pokémon, but one overview glance with his psychic powers made Mewtwo dismiss that idea. This Scyther was clearly radiating animosity, but also an almost-correct dose of fear that it was resolutely trying not to show. No use, when it came to Mewtwo.

Mewtwo could tell from what he was sensing of the Scyther's mind that if it thought he would only be here for a short time, it wouldn't bother him much more. But Mewtwo's pride wouldn't let him roll over like a Lillipup to this insect. He would be honest; if the Scyther decided to challenge him, it deserved what it got.

**_I am observing,_**Mewtwo said calmly. **_I doubt I will be here for long._**

The Scyther jerked its snout. _"You causing a lotta trouble by being here. It'd be best you move on now." _

Mewtwo grasped for patience. He was already annoyed with the day's events, but he would not displace his anger onto another.

**_I am doing nothing,_**Mewtwo responded, voice still even. **_Any trouble is not my fault. I have no intention of harming anyone. If Pokémon are offended by my mere presence, that is not my concern._**

Here, the Scyther bared its teeth. _"I don't know what 'cha are, but you don't belong here. Off with you."_

**_No,_**Mewtwo said simply. **_I have business here. I shall not leave until it is done._**

The Scyther tugged its arms out of the branch and straightened, crossing them over one another like braced swords. _"This yer last warning."_

**_You shouldn't have bothered with a warning,_**Mewtwo said coldly.

His eyes glowed blue, and the Scyther froze, its own eyes wide with panic. It jerked, struggling against Mewtwo's hold, but it was caught in an inescapable grip. With one thought, Mewtwo sent the Pokémon soaring back into the woods.

It didn't return.

Mewtwo continued to watch, and no other Pokémon disturbed him.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: Tim

"Now _this_is interesting," Tim's Dad said through a full mouth, dripping noodle broth over his laptop keyboard. "Apparently Dr. Alexis, Dr. Drew, and Dr. Richard _all_graduated from the same school as Dr. Laurent. They failed to mention that." Harry swirled his fork around in his bowl thoughtfully. "But it doesn't look like they were particularly close there…"

"Do you want to go back and take a closer look?" Tim asked as casually as he could manage.

"That's not enough reason to accuse them." His Dad sat back a little, wiping off the broth with his finger. Pikachu, despite having his own Pokéfood drizzled with broth, eyed the keyboard gluttonously. "It's the largest college in Ryme City. Thousands of students graduate there every year, and many of them stay near the city. Over half the researchers around here must have graduated there."

"They still didn't tell us," Tim pointed out.

"Maybe they didn't know," Harry shot back. "Big school, hard studies, limited social lives. They all should have been there with her for at least a year, but that still doesn't mean they interacted with her. Dr. Richard was two years ahead of her, Dr. Alexis and Dr. Drew were both three years behind."

Tim forced himself to swallow down another bite of his noodles. After last night's messy meal disaster, he and his Dad had decided to have microwave noodles for dinner tonight. And while he normally found them delicious, his twisting stomach simply was not agreeing. Tim was too nervous about what he had to do tonight; go back to the laboratory, alone, without telling his Dad the truth, somehow getting inside, and find R without running into the scientists who may or may not be tied in with Dr. Laurent's atrocities. Of course, Mewtwo had vowed to intervene should anything go wrong.

_It's odd that I find the help of a Pokémon who's threatened me twice to be comforting, _Tim thought miserably. Despite his rocky relationship with Mewtwo, he felt that they were both determined to find the cells, and willing to trust each other to do so.

Except the part of involving Harry. Tim shot a glance at his Dad, who was engrossed into his laptop. Tim really hated lying to his father, and knew that his Dad could help with this hunt if only given the chance. Pokémon or not, Harry _was _Tim's partner, and it felt wrong to work a case without him. But Mewtwo was mistrustful of his Harry, and…had a fair reason to be so. But it still hurt Tim to think about it.

_Why_had his father kidnapped Mewtwo? And then dragged the reclusive, abused, solitary Pokémon to a psychotic millionaire and mad scientist?

Tim set down his fork. The _cling_of it made both Harry and Pikachu look up questioningly. Tim took a deep breath, and then blurted out, "Dad, why did you catch Mewtwo?"

Harry blinked in surprise. "What?"

Tim grit his teeth and spoke slower, through his clenched jaw. "Why—did—you—catch—Mew—two?"

Harry lowered his eyes slowly, setting down his fork with much more gentleness. Pikachu's ears fell back, and the little Mouse Pokémon leaned over and put a paw on Harry's hand.

"I regret it a lot, Tim," his Dad said finally. "Looking back, all the signs and warnings are clear to me, but they weren't then. It all made _sense _when Howard and his team first explained it to me."

"What did they tell you?" Tim asked, wondering what could lead his father to do such a thing. What lie had Howard Clifford told him?

"All kinds of things." His Dad lifted a hand and waving it carelessly before dropping it back on the table. "They told me Mewtwo was the most powerful Pokémon alive, a manmade clone of Mew. Howard—I mean, Mr. Clifford—said Mewtwo was dangerous, and capable of destroying the whole world with its power. But that it was also a tremendous opportunity for science, as it was the last remnant of Mew."

Harry slouched back in his chair. "According to legend, Mew is the ancestor of all Pokémon. Any sliver of its DNA has limitless scientific value." Tim thought back to how Mewtwo was so adamant that his cells be kept _out_of the hands of humans. Apparently, Mewtwo thought 'limitless' was more than they could handle. Or maybe, Mewtwo just didn't want to give it. "I thought we were restraining a Pokémon too dangerous to be free, and using it to _help_the world."

Tim was quiet for a moment. He could see his father's choice from that perspective, but Mewtwo still hadn't been treated right. The clone had been stuffed into a vat that he could barely move in, for what seemed to be weeks, as far as Tim could tell. Helpless as scientists tested his body and stole his cells that he was now fixated on getting back.

"When did you begin to doubt them?" Tim asked.

Harry response was immediate. "From the moment I first saw Mewtwo." He stared off into space as Pikachu crawled into his lap and curled up there. Harry dully placed a hand on the Pokémon's back. "When I found him, I expected him to attack me immediately, like the aggressive wild creature they told me he was. But he didn't. He just stared at me, wary, but not hostile." Harry ran a hand along his face. "And even when I activated the machines I had been given to catch Mewtwo, he still didn't attack. He fought against the machines, sure, but it was obvious he was trying to escape rather than destroy. _That_was when I began to doubt what they told me."

Tim noticed his Dad begin to tap his fingers on the table as he spoke, even if Harry didn't seem to. "After I turned Mewtwo over, I was supposed to go on my way and have nothing else to do with it. But I didn't—_couldn't_—move on. I kept asking Mr. Clifford about him, but he kept deflecting my questions. Then the R started showing up in the arenas. Finally I started poking around myself…I wish I had done so sooner."

"And that's when you found out what they were doing to Mewtwo?" Tim asked gently.

Harry nodded. "I snuck into Dr. Laurent's lab and saw that what they _really_wanted was to control him, not contain him. I still wasn't sure Mewtwo was _good,_but nobody deserved that. So I had Pikachu release him. But some Greninja saw us and chased us on our way out." Harry turned to look out the window; it was almost dark now. The sun was setting, and the lights of the city were beginning to come on. "I'm still amazed Mewtwo came to my rescue. It proves he's not the monster I thought he was. He saved me."

Pikachu shuffled uneasily in Harry's lap. "Pi, Pikachu," he grumbled.

Harry smiled down at his partner. "Yes, and you did, too. I wouldn't be here without you, Pikachu."

Tim thought about his father's story as they cleared the table and did the dishes. He wondered if Mewtwo saw how Harry regretted his actions, maybe the clone would be willing to trust him. But why would Mewtwo even be willing to give Harry a chance?

When Tim put away the last dish, he knew it was time. "Hey…Dad?"

"Yeah, Tim?"

"Can I borrow the car tonight? There are some things I want to check out."

"Oh? Like what?"

Tim turned away and leaned against the counter. "Just take a look at some parts of the city, and maybe go visit Lucy, if she's available." His lips felt numb with the lies.

"Sure thing," and just like that, Tim's Dad tossed him the keys. Easily. Trustingly. "Don't stay out too late."

"I won't."

OOO

When Tim knew he was getting close to the laboratory, he turned off the car's headlights and drove slower. It wasn't long before he could see its glow up the road. He pulled to a stop, knowing he wouldn't be able to park near it without being noticed. But he hesitated to get out. It would be so easy to get caught, and how would he possibly explain?

**_Are you certain you can do this alone, human?_**

Tim jumped at the voice in his head, still slightly unfamiliar with the sensation of feeling a voice _inside_his head rather than hear it through his ears. It wasn't a physical sound, but a sonorous rumble in his very mind. He looked side and to side and saw Mewtwo, tall and imposing, standing just by the side of the road, watching him. It was hard to see in the dark, but the glitter of light that came from Mewtwo's huge, observant eyes was impossible to miss.

Tim rolled down his window awkwardly. "None of the scientists will be expecting anyone this late. If I can find the R, I can find exactly who's keeping it, and we can use them to track the rest of it down." _And, hopefully, get my Dad involved._

**_That is not what I asked. _**Tim could feel the pressure of Mewtwo's gaze.

Tim tightened his grip on the wheel. "When did you start caring?" he asked through his suddenly dry throat.

There was a brief pause, one Tim almost labeled as hesitation, before Mewtwo said, **_I can sense your anxiousness._**

_Mewtwo can smell fear, _a corner of Tim's mind whispered. He tried to keep that thought quiet, in case Mewtwo could hear thoughts as well.

"This is the best way to do it," Tim said instead of giving an actual response. His mind was unhelpfully picturing all sorts of terrible outcomes; him getting caught, the scientists turning out to be ruthless criminals, keeping him hostage, or worse… Tim shook his head, and searched for some kind of distraction to say to Mewtwo. Humor might ease his fear. "If I die, you can wreck the place."

Tim thought, for a fraction of a second, that he saw Mewtwo's mouth twitch upwards in a smile. But no, it must have just been a trick of the darkness. At least Mewtwo didn't get defensive and lecture him on how he didn't need Tim's _permission_for anything.

**_If that should happen, they will indeed regret it. _**Mewtwo's telepathic voice was slightly amused, but then it turned serious. **_Do not worry, human. If I sense you are in danger, I will come after you._**

Tim glanced at Mewtwo, annoyed he was still being called 'human.' "Alright. I'll see you when I come back out."

Mewtwo dipped his head, and then returned back into the shadows. Not by a rustle of wind did the legendary signal his departure. Perhaps Tim _was_wrong about Mewtwo being stealthy.

Tim sighed and then inched the car forward a little, slowly getting closer to the laboratory. When he felt he was at a safe distance, he turned the car off and got out, and began to walk on foot towards the lab.

Now, if things were the same as when he had arrived earlier, Lurantis would be in the front room. Unless Tim wanted it to alert the other scientists he was there, he had to get past it without it knowing. The best way to do that was with a distraction. But what would be a good way to do that?

Tim reached the parking lot, but kept down in the brush at the edge of the asphalt. To his surprise, he saw a wild Gloom twirling outside the parking lot. The drooling Weed Pokémon was bouncing on its heels, swooning around and around as if practicing some imaginary dance. As it was wild, it would probably flee if it noticed Tim. But then he realized this might just be the distraction he was looking for.

But how? He couldn't let the Gloom see him. If Lurantis came out, the Gloom would be able to tell the other Pokémon that it had seen a human.

While Tim was deliberating, something else caught his eye. A group of Phantump were drifting overhead, their ghostly eyes glowing faintly pink as they flew by.

An idea popped into his head, and without thinking, Tim swiped up a rock by his feet and threw it at one of the Phantump. Years of practicing throwing Pokéballs, even so long ago when he had still wanted to be a trainer, gave him dead aim. He hit a Phantump right on its wooden head. It _bonked_and the Phantump swung to a stop.

The Pokémon whirled its head around, searching for whoever had thrown a stone at it. Tim ducked down, fearing that he was about to be revealed. For a moment he only thought about how dumb an idea that had been, but then it _worked._The Phantump's eyes went right over him and instead landed on the Gloom. With an offended high-pitched cry that sounded both like a scream and creaking wood, the Phantump dived down into the parking lot's asphalt and completely disappeared. Only a second later, it reappeared behind the Gloom and slashed at it from behind.

_Phantom Force,_Tim recognized the move dully. He felt bad for framing the Gloom. He wondered if Mewtwo could still see him from this distance, and was still watching.

The Gloom stumbled, and then shook its leafy head. When it looked back to its attacker, it hissed reproachfully. The Phantump bristled in return. With its own lower, musical cry, the Gloom twirled around and then used Petal Blizzard. Glowing leaves sprouted out of the flower on its head and then shot like arrows at the Phantump. Phantump tried to dodge but most of the leaves hit it. Now even more angry, it struck back by charging forward with Horn Leech.

And just like that, there was a wild Pokémon battle. The two of them wrestled and snarled and roared, and it wasn't long before Lurantis hurried out to see what the commotion was. Its bug-like red eyes widened, and it pointedly cried out to the two battling wild Pokémon.

"Lurantis!" But neither Phantump nor Gloom even noticed.

The moment Lurantis stepped outside, Tim began creeping towards the door. But he didn't take his eyes off it for a second. The pink Pokémon stood in frustration, before its two huge claws began to glow green. Then, with incredible speed, Lurantis leapt at both of the other Pokémon. With sophisticated sword work, Lurantis split the two wild Pokémon apart. Both the Gloom and the Phantrump cowered before it, eyes wide at the powerful new foe that had easily put an end to their scuffle.

Lurantis flicked its antennae back with a huff and put its oversized claws on its hips. "_Lur—an—tis,"_it annunciated. Then, in a very motherlike way, it leaned over the Gloom and Phantump, clearly demanding an explanation.

Tim had already snuck onto the parking lot and towards the lab's door. The Gloom's and Phantump's complicated, one-worded explanations and finger-pointing had the Lurantis's full attention. Shuffling the last couple of feet, Tim managed to slip inside. Just in case the Lurantis heard the door open, he sped right through the entry way and to the main hall.

He staggered to a halt one there and froze, listening in case someone happened to be in the hall at that very moment. But it was quiet.

He let loose a held breath in relief; he was inside. Now he just needed to find the R. It would probably be in some chemical lab or a personal office. The Pokémon in the outside enclosures were all asleep, and the hall at night was a little dimmer so as not to disturb them. Tim walked down it slowly, listening for any doors that might open. He passed the Morelull enclosure and saw that they were all awake, drifting peacefully in the air.

Tim stopped at the first door he reached; _'Dr. Alexis's Office'_read its label. He held his ear up to it for a moment, listening if she was inside. When he heard nothing, he decided to risk it and opened it up. To his tremendous relief, it was empty and dark. He closed the door behind him and flicked on the light.

Dr. Alexis's office was neat and orderly. There was a large bookcase stuffed with both books and potted plants, a wooden desk, and a floor lamp designed to look like a Lileep. Along the walls hung degrees, pressed plants, and photographs of Pokémon.

Tim quickly got to searching the place. He checked all the drawers in the desk, flittered through the books in the bookcase to make sure none of them were hollow, and checked beneath the picture frames for any kind of hole in the walls. He left everything exactly how he found it, and after several minutes, he stood in the center of the room, trying to think of any more hiding places. He gently stomped around the green carpet and listened for any sound of a secret passage, and even peered into the air conditioning system for anything there.

Tim felt like he was missing something, but he knew he was on a timetable. Mewtwo's patience wouldn't last forever, his Dad was expecting him to get home eventually, and the longer he stayed in the laboratory, the more likely he was to get caught. Besides, Dr. Alexis seemed the least likely suspect to him. He had to move on, so Tim listened at the door before sneaking back into the hallway to the next room.

Who was most likely to have the R? Tim could focus his search better that way. Dr. Alexis was the one in charge of the facility, so it would be easy for her to hide something from the other two. But she was more interested in helping Pokémon than powering them up with dangerous chemicals. Tim had also just searched her office and hadn't found anything. Dr. Drew didn't seem to like his job very much. That could be reason enough for him to turn to dabbling with R. Dr. Richard was unfriendly and serious, and obviously think little of his coworkers. Perhaps he had struck out on his own and was now experimenting with R? Or perhaps more than one had something to do with it?

The next room was just a storage room for supplies. It was packed with all kinds of food for specific Pokémon, and other gathered resources. Tim looked through all the tubs, filled with seeds and food pellets, but there was still no sign of R.

Tim froze when he heard a noise outside, heart pounding, but there was nothing else. Perhaps it had just been one of the Pokémon living here. He sighed in relief and wondered if Mewtwo could sense his fear even from here. Maybe the legendary was already considering coming after him. Tim pictured that for a moment—Mewtwo barging into the labs to save him. For the first time, Tim realized that wouldn't be such a great scenario. Tim had been joking when he had said, '_you can wreck the place,'_but if Mewtwo _did_decide to go on the offensive…well, there'd be no way to stop him.

Tim would just have to stay safe and find the R on his own.

The next room was more promising. Its label read _'Lab One,'_yet it was a different lab from the one Dr. Alexis had shown them earlier. This would be a good place to keep a dangerous chemical like R, right?

Tim cracked the door open slowly, flicked on the light, and gaped. The room was _filled_with vials and bottles. Every wall of the room held vials, and then the tables in the center had vials. There were all different colors, some of them glowed, some of them fizzled, some of them just looked like normal water.

Tim was snapped out of his stupor when he heard something in the hall, and he quickly closed the door behind him. He began searching through the vials, skimming through their labels. R was purple, but was there a way to change its hue to disguise it? What if it was disguised, and then its label was coded? How would Tim tell the difference?

Once had gone through all the purple chemicals, none of which glowed or churned like R did, Tim began to double-check them. Liquified Sleep Powder, gaseous poison from Bellsprout, drool from Gloom—why would anyone want that?

Then the door began to open.

Tim dived underneath one of the tables instinctively. It was a poor hiding place, but perhaps one of the scientists was just poking their head in. Tim stayed completely still, not making a sound. He heard footsteps as someone walked in. He held his breath.

"Don't bother hiding, I saw you dive under the table. Come out."

Tim gulped, and then stood up slowly, turning towards whoever had caught him. It was Dr. Richard, with his arms crossed and a disapproving frown on his pale face.

Did Dr. Richard suspect Tim of searching for R? Or was the serious researcher involved with the chemical at all?

Dr. Richard stared at Tim for a moment, and then impatiently asked, "What are you doing here?"

Tim swallowed, forced a smile, and decided to play it safe. "Sorry for intruding. I just—I forgot something when I came here earlier today, so I was just looking for it."

Dr. Richard didn't miss a beat. "You never came into this room."

"I don't think you were with us when Dr. Alexis showed us it," Tim responded quickly. It was so much easier for Tim to lie to this man than to his Dad.

"She wouldn't have. It's not part of the tour."

"Well, she knew we were detectives, so let us have a look," Tim countered.

Dr. Richard narrowed his eyes. Tim held his gaze.

After a moment, Dr. Richard stood to the side. "I think I should escort you out. If I find something that doesn't belong here, I will give it to Lurantis. You can come back and check tomorrow—during the _day,"_he emphasized irritably.

"Right," Tim nodded, grateful that he wasn't being threatened and, instead, offered a way out. Mewtwo wouldn't be happy that Tim had been caught, but right now Tim just wanted to get out of the lab, before something worse happened.

Tim hurried past Dr. Richard and through the door, and then stayed innocently at the man's side as he walked Tim down the hall. When they reached the entry room, Lurantis was back at the desk. It blinked at him in surprise, clearly wondering how Tim had gotten in without its notice. Tim avoided its gaze.

However, it wasn't just Lurantis in the entry room. Dr. Drew was there as well.

Dr. Richard was apparently just as surprised to see the other doctor as Tim was. "Dr. Drew. What are you doing?"

Dr. Drew had his keys in one hand and a dark briefcase in the other. His Amoonguss stood next to him, tipping its large head questionably. "I could ask you the same thing," Dr. Drew responded, glancing at Tim curiously.

Tim glanced down at the briefcase, wondering what was inside. Why was Dr. Drew leaving? This place was far enough from the city that it was probably a difficult commute to make every day. And the Pokémon that lived here probably needed at least _one_human nearby at all times in case something went wrong. It was a big enough building that Tim thought there could easily be some rooms here for the researchers to spend the night, if they wanted.

Dr. Richard nodded towards Tim. "I just found this boy in the mixing lab. Said he left something here earlier today. I was just escorting him out."

"Huh," said Dr. Drew, now peering at Tim closely. Tim stared right back, his suspicion growing by the second.

"…And you?" Dr. Richard prodded again.

"Ah, right, sorry," Dr. Drew smiled apologetically and ran a hand through his blond hair. "I was just going to make a run to the city. I have to drop off some medicine."

"May I see?" Tim asked suddenly.

Dr. Drew's smile held, but didn't reach his eyes.

_I'm certain it's him, _Tim decided. _Which means the R is in that case. I just need to see to make sure._

"I'm afraid I have to get going," Dr. Drew took a half-step towards the door. "It's already late."

To Tim's surprise, Dr. Richard spoke up to support him. "Letting him see will only take a moment," the paler doctor said. He seemed just as suspicious of Dr. Drew as Tim was. "And I don't remember any more medicines to be delivered since last transport." His eyes narrowed. "Why don't you let me take a look as well."

Well, looks like Tim's captor had just become his ally. Tim tried to squash his growing smile; the Swanna was as good as caught—

_"Amoonguss, Rage Powder!"_

With a surprisingly high cry for such a rough-looking Pokémon, powdery red dust blew out of Amoonguss's Pokéball-shaped hands, enveloping the whole room.

Tim jumped back and lifted his arms to protect his face; the powder was dry and thick, sticking to him like he was covered in glue and getting everywhere. It was as dense as a sandstorm, and spread like one, too. As Tim gasped, it got sucked up right into his lungs, burning and itching within, and he quickly lifted his sleeve to his mouth and coughed into it. His eyes watered and his vision became blurry.

But the dust didn't last long—it seemed to dissolve within moments. Blinking his puffy eyes, Tim looked back up. Dr. Drew was gone, the door was swinging closed, and Amoonguss was standing right before it, guarding it. Tim struggled up and Amoonguss lifted its arms threateningly.

_I need a Pokémon to get past it,_Tim thought dully. He was a human, he couldn't fight a Pokémon. He needed a partner—

Just then, Lurantis leapt out of the smog with glowing talons, slicing Amoonguss aside with X-Scissor. With the power of both its scythe-like hands, it easily knocked the Amoonguss back.

"Good work, Lurantis!" Dr. Alexis ran up to the side of her partner, before turning to look at Tim and Dr. Richard. She must have heard the commotion and hurried to the entry room. "What happened?" she demanded the two of them as they struggled up. Her eyes through her glasses were pink, somewhat affected by the remains of the powder.

"Dr. Drew—" Dr. Richard coughed in a dry, hoarse, barely understandable voice. "He just _attacked_us and ran out." Horror, shock, and confusion crossed over Dr. Alexis's face. "He had some briefcase, and ran off with it. But I have no idea what could have been in it—"

"I have a guess," Tim muttered. He glanced back at the researchers. "I have to go after him." His voice was barely working, throat still clogged with powder.

Dr. Alexis and Dr. Richard both swung their heads to look at each other, but Tim was already out the door. Once he was outside, he skittered to a halt as he heard the screech of tires. The darkness was lit up as headlights turned on. Tim flinched as the bright lights scalded his eyeballs, and instinctively backed up. He heard the car's roaring motor and skirting tires drive off and held his hands to his eyes, still watering from the dust and now filled with bright spots. By the time his vision cleared, he could see the lights up the road—not the path headed to the city, but the one leading away from it.

Mewtwo suddenly landed beside him, though carefully angled away from the view of the door. **_Human,_**he said, intense and commanding. **_I sensed your fear—I almost came after you. _**Mewtwo's large purple eyes looked over Tim, seeing his flustered and powdered state. **_What happened?_**

"It was Dr. Drew," Tim wheezed. "He's the one with the R."

**_I can barely understand you, _**Mewtwo said, clearly frustrated. The psychic Pokémon waved a hand, and then Tim felt like he had been surrounded with a great gust of wind. The magnetic dust was blown off, it even seemed to lift itself from his lungs. Tim stared at his arms, and saw much less powder on him. Instead, it was scattered about the parking lot.

Mewtwo didn't give Tim time to recover. **_What did you find? _**he boomed, his tone demanding.

"One of the doctors just left with a briefcase," Tim pointed after the car. "He wouldn't show us what was in it, which means it's almost certainly—"

**_I sense my cells. _**And just like that, it was like Tim didn't even exist. In a glowing blue streak, Mewtwo was gone, off after the car.

Tim only _just_stopped himself from shouting after the legendary Pokémon. The doctors were still inside, and would probably wonder why Tim had shouted a legendry's name into the empty night. But Mewtwo had just_left_him without any communication or agreement.

Cursing, Tim ran back to the car in the woods. He jammed in the keys in and immediately slammed on the gas, heading right after Dr. Drew.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: Mewtwo

Finally, a situation Mewtwo could handle himself. He didn't have to concern himself with humans catching sight of him, because there were only a small handful of the invasive species for miles around. No need to be 'stealthy,' as the boy called it. No need to scour through infinite hiding places for his cells, for they were directly ahead of him, in the little human vehicle, conveniently along with the human responsible for hiding them.

Mewtwo caught up with the car in seconds. He glided above it like a bird of prey, watching the vehicle swirl along the road as a little panicked Rattata would ,thinking it was escaping while really it was right where Mewtwo wanted it. Nothing restricting him, nothing holding him back.

But then another source of light caught Mewtwo's eye. He glanced behind him, and there was _another_human vehicle, its headlights speeding down the road. He stared at it confusedly for a moment before he realized it could only be the child.

_What_was the child thinking? Even from here, Mewtwo could sense the boy's determination and worry. But such concern was pointless. Mewtwo could handle this himself. He didn't need any kind of help, this would be _easy._But the boy's vehicle was persistently gaining ground, trying to pursue.

Mewtwo shook his head and refocused on the fleeing car. He couldn't worry about the human now, he had a different one to focus on.

He observed his panicked prey and considered his options. He couldn't tip the vehicle over or cause too much damage; he needed this human alive, in case it could lead him to the rest of his cells. So, then, a little scare might be just enough spook the human off the road and trap the vehicle in the trees. Charging a small, dark Shadow Ball in his hands, barely the size of his fingertips, Mewtwo flung it down at the road. His aim was true, and it landed precisely besides the human's car.

The vehicle jerked to the side and Mewtwo let himself smile. He charged up another miniature Shadow Ball in his hands, preparing to aim at the same side so that the car might jerk again and overbalance.

But then there was a flash of red light from below, and Mewtwo paused as he saw four Pokémon burst from the car. They all flew out of the window at once as if their Pokéballs had been hastily jammed in that direction, but they took to the air like Dewgong to water. A Beedrill, flying with its claw-stingers poised forward, a Haunter, its body a dark cloud in the air, a Golbat with frantic flaps, and a Honchkrow on wide wings. They all quickly began to gain altitude and formed up. Right after them, there was an even brighter flash of red light, and this time, a whole horde of Zubats, at least two dozen of them, scuttled into the air. Mewtwo stared, admittedly nonplussed, as the Zubats bumped into each other blindly, crying out with their echolocation. But once these Pokémon managed to get their bearings, they all swooped in one flock and began to head straight for Mewtwo.

The Haunter was the fastest and came at him first with Shadow Punch with its ghoulish, detached fist—Mewtwo easily dodged it and the ghost-type swung past him. But Mewtwo had just managed to get out of the way when the Golbat charged at him with Wing Attack. The bat wings sliced his side and Mewtwo gasped, unused to physical attacks. It barely did any damage…but how had he been so negligent as to allow that?

Honchkrow was flying at him next. Mewtwo instinctively tried to grab it with his psychic powers, but to his alarm, his energy wouldn't touch the Pokémon.

_Dark-type, _he realized as he evaded to the side again. His psychic attacks wouldn't have any effect on its kind. Mewtwo grimaced in frustration. But he was the clone of Mew, the ancestor of _all_Pokémon, and that genetic advantage gave him a wide diversity of moves to choose from.

In his hands, he charged the blue orb of Aura Sphere. This was a fighting-type move he had only figured out a few years ago, and was still tricky to use. Rather than using energy of the mind, like the psychic moves that Mewtwo favored, this one used energy from the body. Nonetheless, it was fairly powerful, remarkably similar to his Shadow Ball in many ways, and would be super-effective against a dark-type like Honchkrow.

Mewtwo swung the Sphere at Honchkrow, but the black Pokémon dived down to avoid it. Mewtwo was just about to charge after it when he was stabbed from behind by two stingers. The Beedrill—he'd forgotten about it, and now it had dug its stingers into his back with Poison Jab. They were drenched in acidic liquid that seeped into Mewtwo's skin, and he hissed at the stinging pain. He swung his tail behind him and slapped the other Pokémon away.

But one attack after another, the flock of Zubats caught up with him just then, swarming him all at once. They were blind and weak, but their numbers created chaos as they attacked Mewtwo in a cluster of wings and fangs. This must be the purpose the human below had planned—to overwhelmed Mewtwo with numbers, rather than attempting a one-on-one battle. Undeniably, it gave them an important advantage. Mewtwo knew he was faster though, and shot forward to escape the dense crowd.

_Enough of this!_No matter the strategy, he was far stronger than all these Pokémon put together. They may be ganging up on him, but Mewtwo had faced hordes of Pokémon at once before. As the Golbat charged at him again from below, Mewtwo froze it midair with his psychic powers. He struggled in alarm before he beat it down with Ice Punch. _That_ought to be super-effective.

But as he looked down at the earth, Mewtwo realized the human vehicles were getting away from him. He could barely see the lights up the road already. He didn't have time for a twenty-on-one battle, he needed to catch the human responsible for this.

Dodging around the Haunter as it came at him again, Mewtwo shot off after the lights. The human boy was chasing after culprit, his own vehicle soon below Mewtwo as he caught up. The cars had already travelled a great distance from the laboratory, nearing mountainous areas of the forests, with jagged cliffs on the sides of the roads. As the escaping human's vehicle made a speedy jerk through a sharp turn, Mewtwo almost worried it would fall of the cliff. But it managed to keep on the road.

Realizing that the boy was only moments behind the other vehicle and driving at a similar speed, Mewtwo flew down to the side of the car, gliding beside it. He glanced through the window and saw the boy glance back, but the human's focus was on the road—it needed to be, if he was going to make the turn. But Mewtwo was going to provide the boy a little security.

"What are you doing?!" the boy's muffled shout came from within the car.

**_Don't slow down,_**Mewtwo said instead of answering. **_Make the turn. _**He pressed his hand to the window, staying alongside the vehicle.

The turn came, and the boy jerked the car to the right. As expected, it began to overbalance, leaning dangerously to the side. Mewtwo pushed back against the increasing pressure of the vehicle, keeping it from tipping over. Once the road went straight again, all that pressure vanished.

Mewtwo was about to regain altitude when he heard the human start to laugh. Mewtwo glanced through the window and, sure enough, the boy held one hand to his face as he laughed. Nervous laughter, from what Mewtwo sensed. If it weren't for his intervention, the boy's car would have tipped over the turn and fallen down the mountain.

Mewtwo realized he had just saved the human's life without any consideration at all. He hadn't thought about how he might owe this human, or what consequences this human's death might leave him to face; he had just—just done it, without thought. Like it was the natural thing to do. Like how when Ash had dragged Mewtwo's limp body across an island to save his life.

Mewtwo barely had time to realize this when he was pounded from above with Shadow Punch. He gasped, only just kept himself from falling headfirst into the speeding road below and lurching away from the car before he accidentally ran into it. He swung his head up to look at his attacker and saw the Haunter, smirking at him with its huge mouth. The Pokémon dared to _stick its tongue _out at him, waggling it raucously. Mewtwo was purely aghast at the audacity for a moment, then swiftly became outraged. Livid, he swung Psycho Cut at the irreverent Pokémon, a slice of energy that tore through the air. It hit the Haunter directly in its open mouth, and the Pokémon spiraled out of control into the woods. Admittedly Mewtwo took some satisfaction from the act.

Mewtwo had no idea if the uncouth Haunter was knocked out or merely hurt and would return to the battle soon, but was quickly distracted as the other Pokémon he had left behind caught up with him. Beedrill came at him, and Mewtwo summoned two bright energy swords into his hands to counter Beedrill's stringers. They locked blades, and Mewtwo forced the bug-type Pokémon back. It tried to slip its stingers past his swords to dig into him, but Mewtwo met each strike with his blades, beating the Beedrill away.

But then both Golbat and Honchkrow pushed in with Leech Life and Night Slash, coming at Mewtwo from his other sides. Blocking Beedrill's stingers on one side with one blade, Mewtwo swung his other arm behind him and used Icy Wind. At his summons, freezing air sprang into existence and stormed its way towards the two attacking Pokémon. Honchkrow squawked and flapped upwards, escaping the brunt of the Wind with a few frosty feathers, but Golbat was hit with the full force of the cold. It screeched in alarm and beat its ice-covered wings wildly to stay in the air.

But then the Beedrill took advantage of Mewtwo's distraction and managed to dig both of its stingers into his side. Fell Stinger, Mewtwo recognized darkly—the bug-type move _hurt._He grunted and kicked the other Pokémon away. Then the Honchkrow reappeared suddenly, and flew at him with Night Slash again. Mewtwo managed to dodge, only to see the Golbat charging at him now too.

This was getting _ridiculous_. Mewtwo could take on any of these foes on their own, but this was too much at once. Infuriated, Mewtwo used Psychic on the Golbat, grabbing it in an untouchable hold and then ramming its body into the Honchkrow. The two Pokémon tumbled in the sky, falling behind into the night. Then Mewtwo whirled around and used Flamethrower, targeting the Beedrill, roaring the fire into existence. The Beedrill turned around and flew away as fast as it could. Knowing there were still the Zubats, Mewtwo glanced behind. The little Pokemon were slow and disorganized, but still trying to catch up with him. Mewtwo shot a Shadow Ball in their direction, and they scattered again in their attempt to dodge.

If he wanted to chase off this flock, he needed a move that could handle several Pokémon at once. A classic came to mind. Yellow electricity, with sparks of blue, discharged off his body as he called Thunderbolt up, and then he released its nimble bolts on the tenuous creatures. The lighting was immediately drawn to them, grasping for their small bodies—Mewtwo watched them jumble to escape. A few were caught by the bolts and fell to the earth, while a handful of others managed to escape into the open sky.

Mewtwo didn't bother to fight further, but used the opening to chase down the runaway vehicle again.

It didn't take him long to catch up with it, and he fired another Shadow Ball at its side. The car jerked again but still didn't slow down. The human in there had daring, and was determined not to get caught.

After a moment's consideration, Mewtwo aimed at the car's back wheels and summoned small stars in his palm. The move Swift could not miss; so long as he aimed true, the vehicle would be disabled. Mewtwo fired the small, twinkling stars after the car, waiting for the wheels to burst—

The Beedrill flew into the stars' path, taking the hits to protect its master. Mewtwo watched in both stunned shock and wrathful anger. The stars pelted the Beedrill and its wings stuttered, before its eyes fell closed and its unconscious body fell back into the forest, thankfully away from the road.

But the Pokémon's effort was for nothing. Mewtwo could use Swift more than enough times to finally hit his target. He charged up the move again and began to take aim, but then—a _fifth_flash of red light came from the vehicle. It was the telltale sign of a Pokéball, but rather than taking to the air like the four others, this Pokémon crawled on its several insectoid legs and powerful, long arms onto the roof of the car. A Drapion perched itself on top and turned its fanged face towards Mewtwo.

Mewtwo only paused a moment to calculate this new foe, but it could not attack him from this distance. He fired his Swift at the wheels again, but the Drapion was fast to defend its master. It shot Pin Missile from its tail at Mewtwo's oncoming stars, destroying them before they got close. Then it aimed Pin Missile at _him,_and Mewtwo ducked to dodge, flying closer to the road, the boy's headlights shining behind him.

Honchkrow and Golbat had managed to catch up with him again as well. On either side of him, they began to use Wing Attack and dived down towards him. Mewtwo waited, trying to appear that he was focused on Drapion while watching both their moves, before swooping up at the last minute to let them strike each other. Their moves clashed in a burst of smoke, their wings tangled, and they spiraled onto the road.

The boy's vehicle wrenched to the side to avoid hitting them, getting dangerously close to edge of the mountain. Mewtwo felt a brief moment of panic—frozen for a second as he thought, for sure, the child was going to tumble over the edge.

But after twiddling on the brink for a moment, the boy started to correct the car and get it back in the center of the path. Mewtwo barely had a second of relief before the Drapion suddenly directed the charged Pin Missile on its tail at the _boy._

Immediately Mewtwo swung an Aura Sphere at the Drapion, right as the large Pokémon fired at the child's vehicle. Aura Sphere managed to hit the Drapion on the shoulder. It grunted and gripped the car it was perched on with a groan of bending metal, trying not to fall off. Mewtwo swung his attention to the boy's own vehicle, saw it swerving to avoid the Pin Missile, and then it began to fall over the edge as it sped out of control.

Mewtwo could _feel_the fear spike from the boy's mind. His own heart skipped a beat, knowing how dangerous a crash could be, _especially_if it fell from such a height. Mewtwo broke off from his chase of the researcher's vehicle, diving towards the boy's. Still speeding along the road, Mewtwo flew around the car's side and pushed his side against the metal, trying to rebalance it.

Honchkrow suddenly reappeared and rammed into the car's other side. The impact even sent Mewtwo back a few inches. He grunted and glared across the now-cracked glass of the window. Across the car, the bird Pokémon glided alongside the human's vehicle, watching Mewtwo from underneath its hat-like feather crest. It turned in the air and kicked its talons against the car again, and Mewtwo struggled as more of the car's weight fell on him.

Knowing he had to chase the black bird away, Mewtwo flew over the car and shot an Aura Sphere at it. The Honchkrow was unprepared, and it was a direct hit. It cried out in pain and tumbled away.

Mewtwo glanced down at the boy's vehicle. The child had been slowing it down to regain control, and the other human's car lights were getting further and further away. Would the boy be able to catch up?

Perhaps Mewtwo should leave the boy behind and chase after his cells alone. Was the boy much help in this pursuit anyway? Wasn't he just in danger as long as he followed? Mewtwo had already been distracted from the chase by having to save the boy twice—

Golbat suddenly shot out of the darkness and rammed into the boy's car, giving it the final push…_down the hill_. Mewtwo could see the human struggling within the car, hear the screeched of its tires and groan of its metal as it tipped over the side. The boy's fear was in the air like poisonous gas.

For a brief moment, Mewtwo was on his own precipice. Leave the boy, go after his cells, and likely let the child die? Or save the boy, and let his cells slip through his fingers?

_"Do you always need a reason to help somebody?"_Ash had once asked Mewtwo.

Mewtwo may have a reason _not_to save the boy…but it wasn't good enough.

Mewtwo dived after the rapidly falling car. All the recent rain had left the mountain slick and muddy, the unstable ground easily slid under the car's heavy weight. Mewtwo stretched out a hand and reached for it with his psychic powers. The momentum was difficult to grasp but soon it glowed blue with his hold. Its fall froze as if paused on a screen, and Mewtwo vaguely felt the boy's terror transform into confusion. Ignoring that, Mewtwo released a small breath of relief and began pulling it back up the mountain. Carefully he manipulated it not to run into the tree branches, back to the road. He moved as fast as he was able, feeling each second tick by and knowing the other human with his cells was getting away.

Finally he set the vehicle back on the road. But the human could have still been injured; Mewtwo briefly flew beside the window and glanced inside to see the boy unharmed, gripping the wheel with white hands.

**_Stay here, _**Mewtwo instructed firmly, and then flew down the road after the other car. He couldn't see its lights, and the road was dark. He followed the asphalt path beaten through the forest, staying in the gap of the trees, eyes locked ahead to see any flicker of movement. His mind was open, feeling the lives and energy of the wild Pokémon around him…but he couldn't sense his cells.

_No._

Mewtwo knew he was already leaving a trail of blue light behind him with his speed, and he only pressed himself to fly faster. The scientist had to have followed this road, so as long as Mewtwo stayed on it, _eventually_he would catch up with him. The road wound and wove around the slim path through the mountains, turning and rising and falling and—

Splitting.

Mewtwo went from his top speed to a complete stop in the span of a millisecond. He stood before a _division _in the road. Three paths were before him. There was no sign of which one the culprit may have taken. Not even psychic echoes of it.

Snarling, Mewtwo flew straight up into the sky. Several feet above ground, he scoured the earth below from his new vantage point. But he saw no headlights from within the leaves, no sign of human vehicles. There was nothing.

Mewtwo's fists clenched and wind picked up as his emotions lashed out on the physical world, tearing at the sky. The clouds drifting high overhead grew heavier and darker. The trees below rustled, shook, and groaned with the pressure of his rage as if a storm was pressing down upon them. His ears were pounding with the force of his anger, and he barely heard the alarmed cries of wild Pokemon below as they scurried away in fear.

The human had escaped…with his cells.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven: Tim

_'Stay here,'_Mewtwo had said. Two words. One command. And then he had flown off after Dr. Drew's car. Leaving Tim alone, in the dark, in the middle of nowhere. He had his phone, but who could he call for help? His Dad? What an explanation that would be. He had no idea how far away the Grass-Type Laboratory was—he had been a bit preoccupied with chasing Dr. Drew to measure the distance they were traveling. And Tim wasn't too confident in the state of the car right now to try to go anywhere.

Oh Arceus Tim couldn't think about the car right now and how his Dad was going to _kill_him when he saw its cracked windows, new dents, and mud-covered tires. Nope, he couldn't even think about crossing that bridge when he was already stressing out about being left alone in the woods at night by an apathetic legendary Pokémon.

Did Mewtwo plan on coming back? Would he just catch Dr. Drew, take the cells, and be done with it? Or…would he lash out on Dr. Drew? Mewtwo surely wouldn't _hurt_the doctor, after all, he had left Howard Clifford unscathed and the old man had done far worse. Or what if Mewtwo actually got caught? Dr. Drew was a researcher, he might have some way to counter Mewtwo's powers. And after what Howard Clifford had done, Tim knew it would be disastrous for Mewtwo to get captured.

This plan had gone so horribly wrong. Tim had hoped to find the R, or at least proof of the R so he could show his Dad. But apparently their trip to the labs earlier had caused Dr. Drew to make a break for it.

Tim stood by the car, pacing around it. He knew it was probably safer to wait inside it, but he was too anxious to be sitting down. He also wanted to be aware of everything that was going on around him, rather than have it all muffled from the car. He thought he saw a Haunter fly over him at one point and nearly shouted; but it flew right over him. He had no idea if it was Dr. Drew's or a wild one.

Tim tapped his fingers on the roof of the car, listening to the cries of Hoothoot and other wild Pokémon, wondering whether he should obey Mewtwo and stay or go after him or turn back.

He had just made his decision—after already changing it six times and _yes_,this time it _was_final—when he caught sight of something coming his way in the direction that Mewtwo and Dr. Drew had gone. Tim's head shot up and his heartrate doubled. Mewtwo? Dr. Drew? One of Dr. Drew's crazy Pokémon coming back to finish him off?

His fear lasted only a few seconds when he recognized it was Mewtwo, the lithe form and purple glow of his eyes unmistakable as they emerged from the shadows of the night. Tim was immeasurably grateful that the legendary_had_come back. The Genetic Pokémon lowered himself to ground slowly, almost reluctantly. It was clear that he wasn't pleased.

"What happened?" Tim demanded. "Did you catch him?"

Mewtwo's feet touched the ground, and his tail lashed behind him. His orb-tipped fingers were clenched into fists. **_The road divided, _**Mewtwo spat. **_I had no way to tell which way he took. _**Anger glowed in his eyes—literally _glowed,_tiny bolts of thin blue lightning sparkled in Mewtwo's irises.

Tim stared at Mewtwo, somewhat stunned that the most powerful Pokémon had failed. And judging from Mewtwo's obvious anger, he wasn't happy about it either.

An angry Mewtwo did not bode well for anyone. Tim felt he had to say something, but didn't know what. What wouldn't anger him further? Provoking Mewtwo right now would be a terrible idea. He had to distract Mewtwo _somehow_though.

"The man with the cells is named Dr. Drew," Tim blurted. Mewtwo looked up, seeming somewhat taken off-guard by Tim's abrupt mood change. Tim went on, unsure of what else to do. "He was trying to slip away from the lab unnoticed when I ran into him. I can pretty much guarantee that the other two humans aren't involved at all." Tim racked his brain for more things to say. "He's a poison-type researcher. Which explains why most of his Pokémon have that type." The only one without it was the Honchkrow. Dr. Drew's team wasn't professional or fully evolved, but they were pretty tough for a researcher's. That was understandable now that Tim knew Dr. Drew dabbled in illegal, extremely dangerous chemicals.

There was a pause and Tim wondered if Mewtwo would be angry at him for…what, exactly? Trying to be helpful?

Mewtwo returned to scowling. **_If the other humans had nothing to do with it, then they likely have no idea where their comrade may be heading._**

"We'll find him—" Tim started to say.

**Will _we, now? _**Mewtwo interrupted sarcastically. His huge tail cut sharply through the air as it lashed back and forth. **_The point of our coalition was to find my cells before they left the city. _**Mewtwo swung a hand down the direction of the road. **_It is quite apparent that we failed that. With the easy transportation of human development, the cells could be on the other side of the world by _tomorrow. **Mewtwo turned away, still whipping his tail back and forth.

Tim blinked, mind too caught up in Mewtwo's words to be scared at his angry tone. "No, they won't."

Mewtwo looked over his shoulder. **_What? _**

"Ryme City has the best transportation for miles," Tim explained, half to himself, half to Mewtwo. "Everybody around has to get to the city before heading anywhere else. Whether to take a train to another town, or a plane to another region."

Which meant that the only way Dr. Drew could travel was by car, or by riding a Pokémon. Not flying, though—even if Dr. Drew _did_have a flying Pokémon that could carry him, one needed a certain number of gym badges to legally use that move. Being a scientist, there was no way Dr. Drew was that advanced of a trainer. Not that the doctor was much of a rule-follower in the first place, but illegal flying would be an easy way for him to be caught.

Tim came back from his inner thoughts and stared earnestly at Mewtwo. "I think Dr. Drew was going to go to the city before I ran into him." When he had said that at the lab, it hadn't sounded entirely like a lie. "He'll probably need to come back before he can go anywhere else."

**_'Probably'?_**Mewtwo repeated, no confidence in his mental voice.

"I'm sure of it," Tim nodded. "Which means we just have to keep an eye out in the city."

Mewtwo raised an eye ridge. **_The entire city? Populated by a plethora of people and Pokémon? Even with my telepathic abilities, watching the entire city is impossible._**

Even through his incredulity, Mewtwo's rage was obvious, changing the very air around them like a prolonged Thunderbolt. It was beginning to make Tim nervous. He swallowed. "You're not angry at _me,_are you?"

He waited, as Mewtwo examined him with glowing narrowed eyes, anger still thick in the atmosphere. Tim was starting to get scared when Mewtwo admitted, **_No. Not at you. You helped me get this far. _**Tim sighed in relief, as Mewtwo went on. **_I am angry that I failed. Angry at our situation. _**He turned his eyes to glare back down the road Dr. Drew had gone. **_Furious at that contemptable, avaricious, despicable _human_—_**

Then, abruptly, Mewtwo gasped and gripped his side with both hands. Tim instinctively took a step forward, reaching out to steady Mewtwo, but managed to think better of it and forced his hands back to his sides. He didn't back up, though.

"Mewtwo, what's happened?" Tim asked worriedly. Mewtwo's eyes were clenched closed and his orb-tipped fingers were practically digging into his own skin. That's when Tim noticed the bright purple liquid that leaked between Mewtwo's fingers—for a second Tim thought it was blood, but it wasn't thick enough. The night air suddenly felt much colder. "You've been poisoned."

Mewtwo, with clear visible effort, forced his eyes open to look down at the wound. **_There is no way that those Pokémon could have injured me this much. Even with their type advantages, I am the most powerful Pokémon to ever live._**

"That may be true," Tim admitted, hating to contradict Mewtwo's prideful stature, "But if one of them poisoned you, that would have been draining your energy and health for the entire battle." Tim should have thought of this. Dr. Drew was a poison-type trainer, poisoning his opponent was probably the first rule in his book.

**_This pernicious poison must be from that Beedrill,_**Mewtwo surmised lowly.

Suddenly Mewtwo began to glow with a faint green light. "What—?" Tim started to say before he noticed the dirt and scrapes on Mewtwo's body begin to smooth over. He was using Recover.

Tim bit his lip. Recover healed wounds and restored health, but it did nothing for _energy._In fact, it _cost_energy. Mewtwo should be resting right now. And… "That won't stop the poison," Tim noticed that Mewtwo straightened as if no longer in pain, but the Pokémon's shoulders drooped a little as if he were tired. "You'll just keep losing health until it leaves your system."

Mewtwo growled in frustration, both telepathically and physically.

"I got something," Tim said, and hurried back to the car. He called over his shoulder back to Mewtwo. "My Dad keeps some medical supplies in here for Pikachu." He rummaged through the compartments, hoping his Dad had bought some, before he finally found the little yellow spray bottle. There was barely any left, but enough. He triumphantly lifted it into the air. "Got it!"

He backed out of the car seat and approached Mewtwo swiftly, who at once jerked back as Tim got closer, still clutching his side.

Tim stopped. "This is an antidote. It'll—"

**_I know what it is, _**Mewtwo snapped. **_But I can apply it myself._**

"No offense, but with your fingers?" Tim shot back. "And you're exhausted, so your psychic powers might not be stable enough to hold it steady. There isn't much left of this; you can't afford to miss." Mewtwo lashed his tail, and Tim was confused as to why the Pokémon didn't immediately agree. Was he really so mistrustful of humans?

Then Tim noticed how Mewtwo looked almost…defensive? He blinked and noticed that Mewtwo's tail was curled close to him. The hand clutching his side seemed to be even tighter now. And one of Mewtwo's feet was a step back, almost as if he had half a mind to run. He balanced his weight a little awkwardly.

_Oh. Mewtwo's _vulnerable.

Mewtwo had probably been up all day and night keeping vigilance over the laboratory and had just been through an intense chase and an unfair battle, poisoned at some point during it. Recover numbed any pain and temporary patched up wounds, but exhausted the user. Tim knew that Mewtwo didn't like humans, but the fact that Mewtwo didn't feel particularly strong right now was probably feeding into some deep-seeded fears, maybe even subconscious ones.

"I promise I won't hurt you," Tim murmured softly.

Mewtwo's eyes leapt up to meet his. Tim held his gaze, before Mewtwo turned his head away and reluctantly released his side. He lifted his other arm so Tim could reach it. Tim grinned. He couldn't tell if Mewtwo had decided to trust him, or realized that Tim could hardly do any damage even if he _wanted_to, or had just conceded to Tim's points…but Tim couldn't help thinking he had just been given a huge amount of trust. Mewtwo refused to look at him as Tim sprayed the antidote on, but turned back once Tim was finished. Tim watched him critically inspect the area before appearing—grudgingly—satisfied.

**_…Thank you._**

Tim blinked in surprise and then stared at Mewtwo in disbelief. Mewtwo wasn't meeting his eyes, but had turned his gaze to look down the road where Dr. Drew had escaped again.

"You're welcome," Tim finally said. Mewtwo's jaw tensed as if he were uncomfortable, so Tim hastily changed the subject. "We need to get back to the city."

Mewtwo scoffed. **_Why? Even _if_the human returns there, we have no way of finding him in that mass._**

"We'll figure it out," Tim said stubbornly. "But right now, it's our best bet. Besides, we have to head back there anyway." Tim took out his Pokedex-phone to check the time, and winced. "And I should call my Dad to tell him I'll be home late." He felt horribly guilty, and hoped his father wasn't disappointed in him.

Mewtwo lashed his tail, clearly displeased, but Tim wasn't done. He opened the passenger's door and stepped aside. "Come on, get in."

Mewtwo stared at Tim as if he had just suggested that he should cuddle a Cacnea. **_Excuse me?_**

Tim knew he was about to have quite an argument ahead of him, and resigned himself to it. "This is the best way to get you into the city. You're exhausted, it'll be tough for you to run in this state, and we can't risk you getting found and attacked by any of those trainers poking around for you."

**_You think no one will notice me in a human car? _**Mewtwo said disbelievingly.

"They certainly won't be _looking_for you there," Tim pointed out. Mewtwo couldn't argue with that. "And you can stay in my apartment tonight. It'll be safe."

Mewtwo drew himself up to his full imposing height, all trace of tiredness gone from him. **_I do not need your offer of _safety,**he spat. **_I am quite capable on my own._**

"What if a bunch of trainers find you and gang up on you, like how Dr. Drew did just now? Or some wild Pokémon?" Tim thumped his hand on the car door impatiently. "If you come with me, you won't have to worry about it at all. You can sneak in through my window again and leave in the morning."

**_And your father? _**Mewtwo said this as if it were a reason _not_to go, but Tim answered readily.

"You're psychic. You should be able to sense him if he comes, and you're fast enough to get out of the room in time." Tim put one hand on his hip. "And being found by him is better than some overzealous Pokémon Master-wannabees."

Yet again, Tim scored himself another point. Mewtwo did not respond for a second. Another second. Three. Five… Fifteen….

OOO

Once Mewtwo had settled himself in the front seat besides Tim, his tail draped over the back of it and his legs curled underneath him, Tim decided _not_to tell Mewtwo to put on his seatbelt. He was pushing it already. If they _did_crash, Mewtwo would probably be alright on his own. And he would probably view seatbelts as a kind of restraint, which wouldn't go over well.

"I need to call my Dad," Tim said, taking his phone back out.

Mewtwo eyed it for a moment before putting his hands on his legs and straightening up a little, his horns brushing the roof of the car. **_Very well. Be quick. _**He closed his eyes as if in meditation.

Tim considered asking what Mewtwo was doing, but it was already late and he really did need to call his Dad. He held the phone to his ear and listened to the tone.

Harry picked up quickly. "Heya, Kid," Tim's Dad sounded chipper, but Tim could hear the hint of nervousness. "I was thinking about calling you; it's pretty late. Almost home?"

Tim grimaced. "Not…exactly," he admitted. "I am about to start coming home, but it might be a while. I'm sorry; I totally lost track of time."

There was a small pause. "That's okay, Tim, a coffee-addicted detective such as myself completely understands that."

"Pika-_chu,"_Pikachu agreed in the background.

"Alright, I'm on my way back," Tim said, hoping he didn't sound fake. "But you probably don't want to stay up for me, okay? I'd hate it if Lieutenant Yoshida got angry at you for falling asleep on the job tomorrow because of me."

"Did I _not_just say I was coffee addicted?"

"Got a point there," Tim shot back playfully.

He listened to his Dad chuckle on the end, before becoming strangely silent. "Is there anything you want to tell me, Tim?"

Tim looked over at Mewtwo, the very secret he was keeping, and bit down his instinctive _yes._Mewtwo, although he had been sitting peacefully like a reflective Meditite, opened his purple eyes to give Tim a threatening look.

"No, not really," Tim yawned, partially pretend, hoping it would make his Dad back off. "Be home soon. If you're not up, then goodnight." He gave hesitated only a short moment, then added, "I love you."

He couldn't see his Dad…but somehow, he knew Harry was smiling. "Goodnight, Tim. I love you too." Tim savored the relaxing relief those words brought, and then hung up.

Tim tucked his phone away and then started up the car. It groaned a little, but came to life without a problem. Tim had just turned it around and had started heading back down the road when he realized Mewtwo was staring at him.

"What?" Tim asked, having trouble focusing on the dark road now that he knew Mewtwo's focus was pinned on him.

**_You and your father care about each other a great deal, _**was all Mewtwo said.

Tim felt a little uncomfortable at that comment. The last few weeks with his father had been great, but they were constantly tainted with the guilty thought of _'Could it have been like this all along?'_If Tim had decided to come live with his father years ago, how different would his life be? Or if his Dad hadn't been such a workaholic and come to Tim himself? If they had at least _called_each other more often, instead of letting distance and Tim's Mom's death draw them apart?

Tim cleared his throat. "Yeah, we do. And I'm very grateful that you saved him." Tim glanced at Mewtwo out of the corner of his eye, wondering if Mewtwo might be deciding to trust Harry. He doubted it. "And I haven't thanked you for saving me just now, actually." Tim pursed his lips. "You let Dr. Drew get away, with your cells, to save my life."

Mewtwo's telepathic response was soft and quiet. **_I have caused enough pain and suffering in this world without being responsible for your death._**

Yet again, Tim wasn't sure how to respond to that. He got the feeling Mewtwo wouldn't want to talk about his past, and from what Tim _did_know of it, he didn't think he wanted to hear more. Still, he didn't like how guilty Mewtwo sounded. "You've helped a lot of people, too, you know. You fixed the city. You saved my Dad."

**_Despite being separated from your father for several years, you are still quite attached to him._**

Tim wondered briefly how Mewtwo knew that Tim and his Dad had been apart for so long. The psychic Pokémon _had_moved Harry's soul around, and erased his memories…how much of Harry's mind had Mewtwo seen?

"Yes, I am," Tim said matter-of-factly. The car bumped as it hit a ditch in the road, and Tim wondered if it had been made by one of Mewtwo's stray Shadow Balls hitting the ground. "I'm enjoying the city, being with him, and learning how to be a detective." Mewtwo kept prodding about Tim and Harry's relationship, and Tim wasn't sure where the Pokémon was going with it.

**_You were not trying to be a detective before?_**Mewtwo's sudden interest and alertness was unmistakable.

Tim squinted at Mewtwo's tone, but wasn't able to look at him as he made a narrow turn. "No. I was working in my hometown, with no intention to leave. But after my Dad went missing…well, I tried it out and I think…" Tim paused, unsure how to phrase this and not sound silly. But he could feel the intensity of Mewtwo's gaze on him, which made him blurt out, "I think it's what I'm supposed to be doing."

Tim felt his cheeks warm a little, and hoped Mewtwo couldn't tell in the darkness. Had he really just said that to this practical, serious Pokémon? He mumbled lamely, "It just feels right."

Tim avoided looking at Mewtwo and tried desperately to focus on the road. It felt dumb to admit that aloud to anyone, much less _Mewtwo._Surely Mewtwo scoffed at the idea at a mere _human_finding meaning, much less as a nobody detective in a crowded city full of amazing people and Pokémon who had to be far more—

**_I am glad for you._**

Tim's hand jerked, and the car jerked with it, swinging closer to the edge of the road before he hastily corrected it. The sudden movement sped up his heartbeat, but Mewtwo was completely unaffected, staring out the window passively. "What?" Tim demanded.

**_It seems you have found your purpose, _**Mewtwo said, as if it were the most normal thing in the world for him to compliment a human. **_That is special. I am glad for you._**

_Who are you and what have you done with Mewtwo?_Wait…there was something about Mewtwo's tone that suggested something deeper.

Tim couldn't help but dig. The worst that could happen is Mewtwo wouldn't answer him, right? "So what's your 'purpose'?" Tim asked, throat becoming a little dry. Mewtwo turned his head away from the window and narrowed his eyes at him. "I mean, you don't just spend all your time chasing down your cells, right?"

Tim realized that that might be a little closer to the truth than he originally thought. All legendary Pokémon were tracked and followed by humans. Whether dreamers who wanted to see them, trainers who hoped to catch them, researchers who sought to study them, or poachers who wanted their power. Not only was Mewtwo legendary, but he was also a manmade miracle of science and the most powerful Pokémon in the world. He probably dealt with more people trying to take him or his DNA than any other Pokémon on the planet.

But Mewtwo didn't seem at all offended by Tim's question. **_Still searching,_**was all he said.

That was an interesting answer. Those short two words implied that Mewtwo's 'search for his purpose' was something he had been doing for a long time… Mewtwo had first been spotted by humans around twenty years ago, give or take. And although people normally started being independent and finding professions around eighteen, that was when they were _mature. _Mewtwo had been cloned, and _born_with adult consciousness and maturity. That was an awfully long time to be searching for meaning, and that wasn't even including however long he had lived _before_humans had first discovered him.

"What have you tried?" Tim asked curiously. What sort of things would Mewtwo try out, thinking they might be worthy causes to dedicate his life to?

Mewtwo's tail flicked over his seat, Tim seeing its movement in the rearview mirror. **_I can defeat almost any Pokémon on the planet with ease. I have triumphed in numerous battles. I've taught myself some of the most advanced sciences of humanity, particularly genetics and biology, studied Pokémon themselves both in battles and out, have dabbled in architecture, and…_**

Mewtwo hesitated, and Tim was curious as to what he was about to confess.

After drawing in his legs under him a little, Mewtwo said, **_I used to think that the only purpose worthy of my tremendous power was to craft the world in my image. _**Tim's arms became rigid, and he forced himself to take his foot off the gas pedal before something bad happened. Mewtwo didn't seem to notice as the car began to slow. **_But I came to the conclusion that doing so would not bring me fulfillment, and that it was cruel of me to discard the humans and Pokémon on it._**

The car rolled to a stop and Tim turned to stare at Mewtwo. Mewtwo didn't seem at all disturbed by what he had just said.

Tim waited a moment to see if Mewtwo would explain himself, but Mewtwo seemed quite content to remain silent. "What in the _world_does that mean?" Tim demanded finally.

Mewtwo gave Tim a look that clearly said he did not appreciate Tim's tone. **_It _means,**Mewtwo said pointedly, **_That I have been through many hard challenges at the hands of humans, and made some mistakes. _**Mewtwo's hands clenched into fists. **_Yet I have realized many of these and will not make them again._**

Tim stared at Mewtwo, who began to get impatient. **_Did you not say you needed to return to your home, human?_**

And they were back to 'human' again. Tim's hands tightened on the steering wheel. His Dad had said that Clifford Enterprises told him Mewtwo was dangerous. 'Craft the world in my image' certainly didn't sound good. Maybe Howard Clifford's lies hadn't been entirely off-base. Was Mewtwo concealing more atrocities, hiding them from Tim?

Wait a moment. Tim snapped himself out of that train of that—Howard Clifford was a madman, and while that didn't disqualify him from making good points, it didn't put the odds in his favor, either. Tim knew Mewtwo fairly well by now, and although Mewtwo was antisocial, defensive, and occasionally hostile, Mewtwo wasn't _evil._At least, not anymore, if he had ever been. Tim had thanked Mewtwo for saving him and his Dad only moments ago. Whatever bad things Mewtwo had done in the past…wasn't who he was now.

Tim wrestled with that for a moment. But he knew that Mewtwo had just given him some information that he wouldn't give to just any human. Mewtwo was trusting him, in some odd backwards way. The legendary Pokémon had decided to tell Tim this, but he didn't want to talk any more about it. Something told Tim that Mewtwo would only open up about his 'many mistakes' when _he_wanted to.

"…Alright, then," Tim said softly. He turned back to the road and pressed on the gas, getting them moving again. Mewtwo was quiet.

"Why did you decide to tell me this now?" Tim asked, unable to help himself.

**_I suppose you should have some inkling as to who you are allowing to come into your home, human._**

Tim found himself grinning. "Not even world domination will get out of it that easily, Mewtwo."

Mewtwo hummed noncommittally. The telepathic reverberations in his head gave Tim the impression that though Mewtwo hadn't been lying, Tim was somewhat, if not entirely, correct in guessing his intentions.

"My name's Tim, by the way," Tim corrected for what felt like the fifth time.

**_I have heard you say so,_**Mewtwo said in a detached tone.

"You ever bother to use a human's name, Mewtwo?" Tim asked reprovingly.

Mewtwo's voice was almost—_almost sweet_when he asked back, **_Have you ever bothered to use a Pokémon's?_**

Tim blinked, all confidence slipping away from him at that thought. Pokémon often had nicknames, but most just were called by their _specie's_name, which was how they spoke, at least to the human ear. For some ignorant reason, Tim had believed that was just how Pokémon were, only because that's the way it had _always_been. Suddenly, he felt very stupid and naive.

"Pokémon have names?" he asked in a hollow voice.

Mewtwo allowed a beat of silence, before he seemed to relax a fraction and answered. **_Most variations in Pokémon names are too subtle for humans to understand. It involves the exact tone, body language, and even the emotion that is accompanied with the word. It is impossible for a human to speak it correctly._**

A bit of Tim's shame eased. "Oh." Awkward silence descended on them as he tried to process that.

Tim searched for a change in subject, and settled on returning to their previous topic. "You know…" Tim said slowly. "For your purpose, you don't _have_to find something 'worthy of your powers.' You don't need some great quest, like guarding time or the balance of the ocean or whatever. Maybe something small would satisfy you."

**_And let my abilities go to waste? _**Mewtwo said, insulted.

"Your abilities aren't who _you_are," Tim pointed out. Mewtwo leaned back, surprised. "You were born with them, sure, but you aren't _just_them. You've been trying to find something grand and fantastic, but maybe something smaller might give you the…" Tim searched for the right word, "_satisfaction_you're seeking."

Judging from the silence, Tim doubted that thought had ever occurred to Mewtwo before. Tim could see where Mewtwo had gotten this idea that he needed to do something as incredible as his powers. But having greater power meant you could do _more,_not less.

"And even if you _do_decide to do something 'lesser,'" Tim went on, "That doesn't mean you have to do it _forever._You can stop and do something else whenever you want. You're Mewtwo, after all." He shot Mewtwo a grin, who was staring blankly off into space in contemplation.

Tim was silent, waiting for Mewtwo to respond. "Just a thought," he finally said, shrugging one shoulder.

Mewtwo looked up. **_What temporary purposes have you pursued?_**

Tim blinked, not expecting such a question. Mewtwo seemed merely curious, but the fact that he was actually interested in _Tim,_himself, was a little ground-breaking. Tim answered best he could. "I was an insurance intern for a while. Mostly office work." Tim glanced at Mewtwo again and saw his snout crinkling. So Tim sighed and confessed. "Yeah, I didn't really like it either. I went through a stage as a kid where I wanted to be a Pokémon Master. Every kid does, I suppose."

**_You? _**Mewtwo turned a little in his seat to face Tim better. **_Yet you do not even have a Pokémon partner. I had assumed you were different._**

Wow, the loner, manmade, one-of-a-kind legendary Pokémon was calling _him_'different.' That said something.

"Well, the position of Pokémon Master is pursued only by those who dream big," Tim sighed. "Hundreds of trainers want it in each region, but obviously there aren't many Masters out there. When my—" Tim's throat caught and he cleared it, forcing the words out, "—When my Mom died, I grew up earlier than I would have. I stopped dreaming, I guess."

He swallowed. "What I told you is true, though. Once I decided I didn't want to try to be a Pokémon Master anymore, I didn't think I needed a Pokémon."

It was kind of funny, though, now that he thought about it. For years, Tim had been so busy stubbornly denying himself a Pokémon partner that he had never really paid attention to what that partnership _meant,_especially out of battle. The worlds of humans and Pokémon—they were so inseparably mixed together and yet, at the same time, also incredibly divided. Humans had technology, resources, and lifestyles that Pokémon just couldn't live in on their own. And Pokémon had their own amazing powers and connection with nature that humans didn't. When humans and Pokémon partnered together at all times, they worked as bridges to each other's worlds. And so, the two species, despite being so different, were drawn together. Harry, as Pikachu, had called it magic. Hope.

Which made Mewtwo an interesting conundrum. Being made by humans, he didn't fit in with other Pokémon, as didn't have that connection with nature and the world around him. Being a Pokémon himself, he didn't quite fit in with humans either. So where _could _he fit in? Was he a bridge to both? Or walled off from both?

Tim saw lights up ahead; the Grass-Type Laboratory. He realized how confused Dr. Richard and Dr. Alexis must be. He glanced over at Mewtwo. "I have to stop here."

Mewtwo's eyes narrowed. **_Why?_**

"The other scientists are going to be rather confused," Tim explained. "I just left them there. You need to stay here, in the car, and not be seen."

**_Why is this important?_**Mewtwo asked skeptically. **_I thought your goal was to return to your home as quickly as possible._**

"Yes, but if I don't do anything, these scientists might call the cops, which will draw attention from my Dad and make it harder for me to help you." Tim began to pull over. "Hide in the back, if you have to."

Mewtwo glanced at the backseat with distain as Tim parked the car. He got out, and gave Mewtwo one last look. "I won't be long."

It was only once Tim was at the door of the facility that Tim wondered if leaving Mewtwo alone in his car was a bad idea. But he cast the idea off—it wasn't like Mewtwo was a child.

When Tim reentered the front door, he saw there was still a great deal of Rage Powder covering the walls and floors. The Amoonguss was passed out on the floor, and Lurantis stood above it, keep diligent guard. Dr. Richard was sitting was sitting at the front desk, glaring at the phone on it, while Dr. Alexis was standing on the other side of the room of the Amoonguss, and judging from the footprints in the Rage Powder, she had been pacing.

"You're back!" she cried, the moment Tim stepped in, and Dr. Richard and Luranits looked up. Dr. Alexis immediately hurried over to him, wringing her hands. She looked as pale as Dr. Richard naturally was, even with her sun-tanned freckled skin. "Oh my goodness, I was so worried. Are you hurt?"

"No," said Tim, trying not to think about how his car had fallen off a mountain. "I'm fine. But I'm afraid Dr. Drew got away."

"Wonderful," Dr. Richard droned sarcastically. He hadn't gotten up from his seat. He turned his cold eyes on his coworker. "_Now_may we call the police?"

"You haven't already?" Tim asked, surprised.

"No," Dr. Richard answered dryly. "Dr. Alexis was under the impression that as you are a detective, you would have called for police backup already. She insisted we wait, despite my _very logical_arguments that you are a _child."_

"It's good that you didn't," Tim blurted before he could think about it. Obviously he didn't want Lieutenant Yoshida catching him in a situation he shouldn't be in again, or his Dad finding out he had snuck back to the labs without telling him.

"Why?" Dr. Alexis asked, worried.

Tim bit his lip. "It's like my Dad said earlier today. We're looking for a dangerous chemical. But after what happened a few weeks ago—" _everyone_knew about what happened with Mewtwo and Clifford Enterprises, "—the police have decided to keep it quiet. This information should go straight to the chief. I'll do that."

"Really." Dr. Richard began tapping a pen on the desk. "You. Yes, you've certainly proven your trustworthiness after sneaking into our laboratories. Without a warrant, I might add."

Tim did his best to appear calm, and contain his wince.

"Peter," Dr. Alexis sighed. "I think the boy is telling the truth. And we can't ruin their investigation by revealing it to everyone."

"You're trusting this _boy_—"

"I'm twenty-one, thanks," Tim said frostily. He had always been mistaken for being younger than he actually was. "And I've done cases like this before," he added, which wasn't entirely untrue.

Dr. Richard still clearly doubted that anything he had said was honest. Tim considered pulling out his junior detective badge, but although that would prove he was somewhat experienced, it would also show that he was _not._

"Actually, I can't stay long," Tim blurted. Both doctors jumped at how loud his voice had unintentionally gotten. "I have to report this information right away. But I stopped to see if you both were all right."

"Awfully convenient that you have to leave so soon," Dr. Richard muttered.

"Don't mind him," Dr. Alexis took Tim's hand in her own. "I'll talk to him. You go back and do your job. We won't say a word of this to anyone." But then she bit her lip. "Please tell the Lieutenant that Jacob—Dr. Drew—also stole the Zubats I had just rescued."

Tim remembered the dozens of Zubats that had burst from Dr. Drew's car, flocking around Mewtwo. Eventually, after a few of Mewtwo's attacks, they had flown off back into the woods. They were wild Pokémon, and being returned to the wilderness was what Dr. Alexis had intended for them anyway. But Tim couldn't find a way to explain all that to her.

"I will, thank you," Tim breathed, and meant his gratitude, at least. If Dr. Alexis really kept things quiet, it would keep things much less complicated.

After a short goodbye (Dr. Richard merely glared at him), Tim left the lab. In the last second before Tim scurried out, he thought their faces became strangely blank. It was odd, but he didn't bother to think on it. He wasn't entirely convinced that Dr. Richard would stay silent, but he feared that if he pursued more, he'd become more suspicious. Tim mulled this over, barely paying attention to where he was headed until he reached his car. He stopped short.

"What have you _done?"_

**_I decided to re-familiarize myself with human mechanics._**

"You've torn the car apart!" Tim spluttered.

Mewtwo had completely disemboweled the car. Its hood was up like an open carcass, parts were neatly spread out on the asphalt or even suspended in the air. Two of the doors had been disengaged from their hinges, and three of the tires. One of the headlights had been taken out like a gauged-out eye, and Tim even spotted the steering wheel lying on the ground. There was one wiry piece that Tim didn't recognize at all, but it had a bright red sticker that said _DANGER: DO NOT TOUCH _with a giant X and a simple but clear drawing of a person being electrocuted.

"I was in there for less than ten minutes!" Tim cried. "_How?"_

**_This contraption is actually quite simple compared to other machines I have worked on. _**Pieces that might have once been the engine were orbiting around Mewtwo as he inspected them. **_It was not difficult._**

"Mewtwo," Tim breathed, feeling his throat begin to close up. "This is my _Dad's_car. What am I supposed to tell him when he needs it in the morning?" As if it wouldn't be hard enough to explain why it was covered in mud and had a noticeable number of new dents, plus the cracks in the windows. Now it wasn't even a car—more like a pile of car _pieces._

Harry would never let him borrow it again.

**_Calm down, human, _**Mewtwo said unsympathetically. With a long flourish of his arm, all the pieces glowed a gentle blue and lifted themselves into the air, beginning to reassemble and make their way back into the car. **_My memory is near-perfect._**

With the final _click_as the last piece fell into place like that of a magic puzzle, the car looked exactly the same. Actually…

Tim paced around its edge and noticed that the mud and dirt was gone like it had never been. The windows, at first glance, looked fine. But when Tim peered closer, he saw semi-faint spiderwebs where the cracks had been. Like they had been fit and blended back together but the damage had still happened. The dents were smoothed over too. But not the older ones, Tim realized, only the ones from tonight.

"You fixed it," Tim whispered.

Mewtwo flicked his tail, a movement that resembled a shrug, in his own way. **_As you said, your father will use it eventually. We cannot leave a trace of what really happened._**

Tim was just grateful Mewtwo had done this. Tim hadn't known _what_he would tell his Dad in the morning, but Mewtwo had considered that and covered for him. Tim had expected Mewtwo just to leave him to deal with it, but apparently not. "Thanks."

Mewtwo did not respond to the gratitude, but instead turned away, flung the passenger door open with a mere jerk of his chin, and repositioned himself in the car. Tim hesitated a moment, slightly tempted to press Mewtwo into acknowledging his thanks, but gave up and went back to the driver's seat. He turned the key, and the car sprung to life as if it hadn't just been gutted out like a Pyukumuku ejecting its organs. Tim was just about to start backing up when he froze, realizing something. He turned to Mewtwo with a sharp eye.

"Will you let me know the next time you're going to tear up expensive technology?" he asked warily. He almost wanted to demand it, but he knew by now that Mewtwo wouldn't react well to that.

Mewtwo looked at him for a moment, and then a small smile briefly played on his lips. **_No promises._**

OOO

Tim drove slow, unwilling to hit anything in the dark or strain the car after all it had been through tonight. Mewtwo lowered himself into his seat when they entered the city, remaining out of sight of anyone outside, but also keeping the outside within _his_sight. Tim didn't know why, but Mewtwo's wide purple eyes flickered to and fro, all across the city. He stared at the public art, the neon signs, and Pokémon they passed. Surely Mewtwo had seen the city before? Perhaps he had just never seen it from the position humans did, or never stopped to actually _look_at it. Sneaking around and avoiding others didn't always give you the opportunity to take in the sights.

Still, Tim found it curious how Mewtwo's large purple eyes watched the city lights with rapt enchantment. And based off how well their conversations had been going tonight, he felt bold enough to ask him. "What's up, Mewtwo? You've seen the city before."

Mewtwo's eyes flung to Tim as if he had forgotten Tim was there. Then they drew back to look at the world outside. **_The city looks…big, from down here._**

Tim wrinkled his nose. Being from a small, sleepy, suburban town, the city was incomprehensibly large to him. Calling it 'big' was an understatement if there ever were one. He may enjoy it more than his boring old home, but it's hustle and bustle could be overwhelming at times. Yet what did Mewtwo mean, 'from down here'? Why would the place from which you looked at the city change anything? It was so full of life and energy that anyone could see it from miles away.

"Not from up there?" Tim asked, nodding his head. He had little experience with flying, but he _had_been pretty high up skyscrapers the last few weeks. Most notably when Ms. Norman had made him dangle from a window several stories above the ground.

**_No,_**Mewtwo said absently. **_Not when I am looking down on them, or flying through. But from below, with these constructions towering above us, I believe they are…impressive._**

Tim peered forward and up towards the front window, trying to see Mewtwo's angle. When he'd first come to the city, he had been a little too overwhelmed by crowds and activity to think of all the work and thought that went into _building_it. "Yeah, I suppose so. Both people and Pokémon build the skyscrapers together. It's a massive effort. Takes lots of time and hands."

Mewtwo was quiet at that, yet continued observing the buildings with the same fascination for the rest of the trip.

Tim parked the car in the hidden corner of the lot, carefully looking side to side to make sure no one else was here this late. He turned to Mewtwo. "You can sneak through my window again, right?"

Mewtwo's tail curled in unpleasantly. **_Yes, _**he grumbled.

Tim raised an eyebrow at him. "You _will_come, right?"

Mewtwo shot Tim a glare as the car door opened on its own. Despite Mewtwo's bulky frame that looked like it barely would fit in the small car, he slid out with the ease of a Seviper. **_I said that I would._**

Tim bit his lip. Mewtwo definitely wasn't going to thank Tim for his hospitality, but Tim could see that Mewtwo needed a proper place to spend the night. Somewhere he could rest comfortably, without having to worry about wandering humans.

Still, though, if Mewtwo was going to be livid about it all night, neither of them would get good rest. "Mewtwo…" Tim sighed. "I'm asking this of you because I want to make sure you're safe and recover fine. But…" Tim hesitated, really weighing his next words before he said them, "I don't want to _force_you. If you're not comfortable sleeping in a human room, you don't have to."

Mewtwo snapped his head around and looked at Tim with an uninterpretable expression. Despite having large, expressive eyes that took up a good portion of his face, Mewtwo could be quite good at hiding his feelings from his expression when he wanted to be. So much for the old saying 'eyes are the gateway to the soul.' Mewtwo kept his under lock and key.

Tim had already marshalled a good enough argument that Mewtwo had _had_to agree to it. But perhaps Mewtwo just wasn't up to being that close to humans, though of course he would never admit that _he_was incapable. As composed and elegant as Mewtwo was, right now he looked as tense as a Torracat before bath time. Tim hated the idea of Mewtwo sleeping outside in some alley or warehouse, but if that's what he wanted…

Mewtwo stared at Tim searchingly for a long moment. **_No, _**he said finally. **_I see your argument, and agree with it. I am willing to stay the night with you. _**Mewtwo oddly drew in just then, as if he was unsure of himself. **_That is, if you will still have me._**

Tim beamed at him. "Definitely. See you in a few minutes."

Tim hurried into the apartment building. He tapped his foot in the elevator. If his Dad was asleep, he'd slip into his room with no problem. He hoped Harry was; he felt guilty enough without keeping his Dad up late.

Tim had just unlocked the door and opened it when he was Quick-Attacked by a furry yellow bullet. "PIKACHU!"

_"Ow,_Pikachu, that was _hard,"_Tim complained. Pikachu clung to Tim's shirt to keep himself up, stretching it, and Tim quickly wrapped his arms around the Pokémon in order to save his clothing.

"Pikachu, _Pikachu!" _The Electric Mouse objected crossly. Pikachu's large brown eyes were alight with anger, and his fur was on end.

"Yes, I know, I know, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stay out so late." Tim gently tried to detach Pikachu's paws from his shirt. "It won't happen again, okay?"

"Well, looks like my work as a father is done for me." Tim turned to see Harry sitting in one of the chairs, setting aside a yellow folder. Tim swallowed; so much for his Dad going to sleep before he got back. It was a small hope, but a hope nonetheless.

"You should have gone to bed," Tim mumbled.

"I believe _I_should say that to _you,"_Harry shot back, standing up. Pikachu hopped off Tim's chest and into Harry's arms, before climbing up to sit on his shoulder. "Don't take _all_my parenting jobs from me." Harry gave a half-hearted teasing smile, but it was clear from his eyes that he was disappointed.

That look burned Tim. "I'm sorry—"

His Dad held up at hand, and Tim snapped his mouth shut. "Tim, I'm not mad." Harry stared at Tim, and Tim realized it was true. "You're not a child anymore. You can definitely stay up late. What's _childish_is sneaking off, and not telling me what's going on." Harry crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow. "So. What's going on?"

Tim's mind spun out of control, frantically thinking of believable answers before he blurted, "I was just looking around town."

His Dad didn't look at all convinced. "Looking around town."

"Yeah," Tim hedged. _Don't think about how it's a lie and it won't seem like one. _"Just exploring neat places. Restaurants, shops, murals, Pokémon…" Tim silently cursed himself—why did he have to say that last one?

Harry tilted his head. "Pokémon? Like what?"

_Gloom, Phantump, Lurantis, Beedrill, Haunter, Honchkrow, Golbat, Drapion, and, of course, Mewtwo._

"Golbat," Tim went for, because it was the most likely Pokémon to be seen in a city. The others weren't as common, and it might seem suspicious to Harry if Tim said he saw one.

"Golbat," Harry repeated, face deadpan.

"And others," Tim offered.

This was going so terribly. How could Tim lie to his father, the _detective?_To violate his Dad's trust just when they were starting to rebuild their relationship? This was a recipe for disaster. Tim should just fess up now, confess it all, and deal with Mewtwo's wrath, because—

"All right."

Tim practically jumped. "What?"

Harry shrugged. "All right," he repeated, as if it didn't even matter. "If you say so." Tim stared at his Dad, but Harry was already moving on. "Lieutenant Yoshida called. He needs me to help out tomorrow with the trainers from out of town."

It took Tim a solid minute to follow the change in subject. "Wait, tomorrow? What about the case?"

"I have to put it on hold," Harry said with another shrug.

As if that were the simple end of it, Harry began to walk past Tim and head for his room. Tim turned to watch his father in disbelief. Right as his Dad was about to turn the corner, Tim found his words. "But our case is important, and we have to act quickly! You _can't_just let it go!"

His Dad stopped and turned back around. "I have to," he said plainly. And then, in a soft, sly voice he added, "But you don't." Harry grinned at Tim's shocked face before turning back down the hall. "Goodnight, Tim."

Tim wasn't sure how long he just stood there, but eventually he heard his Dad's bedroom door close. His Dad was leaving the case to him? So far, Tim had only tagged along on his Dad's investigations. Even when he had first come to Ryme City and been searching for his Dad, Harry had been right at his side, if in the form of an amnesic Pikachu. And while Tim had just gone rogue tonight and slipped into the Grass-Type Laboratories, he hadn't _intended_it to get so dangerous. He started to wander towards his own room, deep in thought. Now, he had to crack the case all on his own.

Tim was so lost in his own mind that he completely forgot Mewtwo was supposed to be in his room—how ridiculous was that? He opened the door and stood dumbfounded for a few seconds, staring at Mewtwo who was observing one of his photographs on his bedside table. Standing as casually as if he did it all the time.

Then it all came back to him in a rush, and Tim hastily closed the door. He knew his Dad had gone to bed, but Pikachu did what he wanted when he wanted.

_I'm not entirely alone,_Tim remembered. _I have Mewtwo, at least._

At that thought, Tim found himself a little glad.

**[Well, Tim and Mewtwo may have fallen a step back in their hunt for R, but I say they've taken two steps forward in their partnership. Thanks for reading!]**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve: Mewtwo

**[WARNING: Things get a little dark in this chapter, with memories of torture and mind invasions… If you've seen the movies, you should be fine, but heads up.]**

Mewtwo sensed the human come in, but didn't want to turn away from the photograph he was studying quite yet. It was an image of three humans; one, he clearly recognized as the boy's father. The man was barely changed, although something about his smile made him look…younger. Or perhaps, happier. The father's hand was on the shoulder of a young human, very small, that had to be the boy himself. And at the detective's side was a human female, with dark skin and a shining smile that looked exactly like her son's. This could only be the mother, whose death had affected both the father and the boy so tremendously.

Memorizing the photograph best he could, Mewtwo set it back down, but found he still couldn't draw his eyes away. He spoke anyway. **_I sensed your conflict. Are you all right?_**

A lengthy sigh came from the boy as took out his Pokedex-phone and set it aside on a table. "Yeah, fine, just talking with my Dad." He yawned, and then headed to his closet. Mewtwo watched him as the boy fumbled through the fabrics in his closet before dragging out a large blanket and a…a…

**_What _is_that?_**Mewtwo asked, staring skeptically at the item.

"It's a beanbag," the boy answered, sliding it out onto the floor.

**_It looks like an overweight Trubbish._**

The 'beanbag' in question was some kind of flappy sack, too heavy for the boy to lift. After the human shot Mewtwo a scowl, he pushed it by the desk and threw the blanket over it. "I'm just expanding your options," the boy said pointedly as he rearranged the blanket and snatched up a pillow. "Pikachu likes to sleep on this thing all the time. I want you to be comfortable."

Ah, so _that_was the purpose of this human contraption. Mewtwo eyed it with new reservations. He had never slept on anything so…unstable. When Mewtwo needed sleep, his only requirement was that no one could find him where he rested. He regularly chose a stone cavern floor in the wild, or somewhere underwater. If he was exploring a human city, he would find some concrete corner on a rooftop or in an alley. He didn't need _comfort._

"Hungry?" the boy asked, interrupting Mewtwo's standoff with the sack. He opened a desk drawer and pulled out a plastic package. "I'm not supposed to have food in my room, but I always have a pack of lava cookies for emergencies. Want one?"

Mewtwo lifted his chin. **_No._**

He kept thinking about how this was a bad idea. Twenty years of isolation screamed at him to never sleep where a human was ambient and aware. He would awaken in a test tube, or imprisoned in armor like Giovanni's, or _something. _

The boy stuffed the little food circle in his mouth, getting crumbs on his face. He was so casual that Mewtwo felt foolish for believing this human—this _child—_to be a threat. The boy was right, this was the safest place he could currently rest. He knew he was tired. He didn't have the energy to shut his eyes yet still be aware, every second being alert for anyone that might stumble upon him. If he wanted to catch the human who had stolen his cells, Mewtwo needed full rest. And he knew this boy was trustworthy.

"I can get you something else to eat, if you want," the boy offered.

Mewtwo simply shook his head. He had, much to his gratitude, inherited some gene from Mew that allowed him to survive on minimal sleep and nourishment. He barely ever ate, and he only required a few hours of sleep each day, if that. He had become exhausted from pushing himself so hard the last few days, and his body demanded it finally be allowed to rest. But he had swiped some provisions back at the reserve, so there was no current need for food.

The boy sat down on his desk, munching on the 'lava cookies' while Mewtwo approached the _beanbag_the boy had made up for him. Yet he studiously ignored it, and sat down on the floor cross-legged, and turned his head up to the boy.

**_What did your father have to say? _**If the older human suspected his son's interactions with Mewtwo, then he would like to know.

The boy swallowed his cookie. "He told me he has to stop looking into the investigation of your cells."

Mewtwo straightened up. **_Why?_**One reason Mewtwo had agreed to work with this boy was his connection to the human police department. Mewtwo would never reach out to them for _help,_but that didn't mean they couldn't be useful.

Tim boy waved a hand. "The trainers visiting the city." He gave Mewtwo an odd expression. Perhaps it appeared so because his face was covered in crumbs. "The trainers looking for you, that is. The police are having to keep a special eye on them, including my Dad."

Mewtwo scowled. Curse those annoying humans. They gathered around him like Volbeat after the scent of an Illumise. He'd had more than his fill of humans thinking they could take him on, and they always met the same end; destruction. **_They have no idea what they are getting into._**

The child tilted his head. "They admire you. The most powerful Pokémon to ever live? You're every trainer's dream, Mewtwo. And while they want to catch you and have you on their team, almost all trainers love and _respect_Pokémon. They would never treat you like how other people have treated you, like Dr. Laurent and Mr. Clifford. In fact, they'd probably be enraged if they knew about it."

Mewtwo instinctively wanted to snap _'Then where were they all the times I was being tortured?'_but then his chest tightened up. They had been there, for at least some of the times. When Giovanni was trying to break Mewtwo at Mt. Quena, Ash and his friends had been there to help him escape. When Mewtwo was imprisoned by Dr. Laurent, it was the detective's Pikachu that had disabled the psychic restraints to free him.

Some humans _did_care about Pokémon. If that weren't true…Mewtwo wouldn't be here right now. Mewtwo knew that at least a _few_did, but he viewed them as more of the exceptions than the rule. His experiences had taught him that. Yet the boy was certain that most of the trainers were altruistic like Ash, wanting Pokémon to be treated fairly rather than just using them.

Mewtwo disagreed. Some humans cared, but they were like the small handful of shiny Pokémon amongst the vast majority of others. This boy, though…he would be among the few.

Mewtwo decided to conciliate the human, however. He had no desire to argue with him; the boy was just naïve. **_I suppose they would,_**he settled to say.

The boy seemed to accept that response, and continued to his next point. "Oh, and also the fact that you're cloned from Mew is amazing, too," the boy went on. "I grew up with legends of Mew, about whether it's extinct or not. A lot of people thought it didn't exist, until you showed up." The child turned his curious eyes back to Mewtwo. "Do you know anything about it?"

Mewtwo was still pondering—though doubtfully—the concept that out of the millions of trainers in the world, _most_of them actually cared about their Pokémon. He was sure that it was ridiculously idealistic and false, but it was an idea that seemed almost otherworldly to him. He answered the boy without thought. **_I met it._**

The boy choked on his cookie, and Mewtwo turned his attention back to the child in concern. "You actually _met_Mew?"

_Mewtwo, chasing his hated adversary across the stormy sky, determined to prove his worth by smiting his original. But the little Pokémon, old yet youthful, ancient yet spry, and as impossible to grasp as the wind, avoided each of his attacks with ease and even dared to taunt him with laughs and pretend hiding. When he finally landed a hit, and the air seemed to pause as if it too was shocked as to what just happened, suddenly Mew's own attack came from the clouds and struck Mewtwo down with power he had never felt before. It was painful, but he embraced it. At last, a foe that could prove a challenge to him, and when he defeated Mew once and for all…nothing would stand in his way._

Mewtwo blinked away the memories that even now were so strong and overpowering. Until he had met his original, all of his foes had been easily defeated. Then Mew had come, and it had been a trial of his ultimate strength. The battle had been between old and new, nature and ingenuity, good and evil, and had ended in a way neither of them expected.

**_Once,_**Mewtwo granted. **_Long ago._**

_That_was one thing that angered him. Once Mew was assured that Mewtwo was no longer going to destroy the earth, it had left and never come back. Never mind that Mewtwo had questions about his existence. Never mind that Mewtwo suddenly had to care for his clones in a world that was hostile to them. Never mind that, despite his posturing, it was still an unfamiliar world that he was alone in and needed help to understand. That was all beneath Mew's concern. It didn't care that Mewtwo was its very own blood; it had left. Mewtwo only ever saw it in his dreams now.

"It's _alive?"_Tim gasped. "It must be _ancient. _What was it like?"

When Mewtwo had dreamed of meeting his original, he had first pictured something…solemn. Wise. An antediluvian master, with millennia of experience and knowledge. Then Mew had _actually_shown up, and proceeded to trampoline on its own bubbles, cast off Mewtwo's threats, and force him to engage in a game of tag.

**_It is unlike anything you would expect,_**Mewtwo said dryly.

"Wow," breathed the child, so reverently that Mewtwo almost rolled his eyes. "If people knew for sure that Mew was alive…well, it has tons of people searching for it _already. _It's said its DNA has traces of all Pokémon in it._"_

**_All the more reason to retrieve my cells, _**Mewtwo snarled. Though he didn't much care whether or not his original was hunted by humans (Mew could certainly handle itself, Mewtwo had learned that the hard way), that was _his_DNA, too. He had countless reasons for wanting it back, but the boy's words were bringing one fear to the forefront of his mind. **_The power within them must not fall back into human hands._**

The boy tilted his head again. "Why? What's the worst someone could do with a bit of DNA?"

Mewtwo stared at the boy for a moment. The fear gnawing in his chest constricted him. _He_, himself, his own flesh, was living proof of the worst that humans could do with the precious cells. After all, what destructive force was more vicious or merciless than him?

He had been through much abuse, but one of the worst possible threats would be if another one of him was cloned. The pain that Pokémon would feel, and the harm it would inflict on others, would be catastrophic. And if more were cloned, then what would Mewtwo be? How could he be recognized as a living individual if his flesh could be assembled at will?

Mewtwo instinctively wanted to beat this fear down but it only became more poignant. There was some spark in his psyche, and the words made their way to the boy's mind without Mewtwo's intention. **_They could clone more of me._**

Mewtwo almost shook his head to clear away the anxiety, but was a bit too dumbfounded by this new sensation in his mind. It appeared that he was starting to know the boy well enough to navigate his mind better than most creatures. The only other person Mewtwo had gotten that familiar with was Ash Ketchum.

He supposed, now that he thought about it, that such a development had become inevitable when he agreed to work with the boy. It would probably be of use to them. Mewtwo could see the benefits of this salutary extra link to the child. But still, he didn't like getting _too_close to mankind. Otherwise, he unintentionally said things like this.

The human paused mid-bite of his food. Slowly he drew the cookie away from his mouth. Mewtwo's fingers curled into fists, frustrated with how his words had spilled out of him. His insecurities had gotten the best of him, and not for the first time. He had learned, after the events of Mt. Quena, that he belonged in this world as much as any other person or Pokémon. He tried to remind himself of that, although most days he still felt outcasted and directionless. He also knew, as well as his own breathing, that if there were another Mew clone, they would feel the same as he had—_did_. That amount of power, whether in the hands of humans or rogue like he had once been, would be devasting to the whole world.

"That's why you're so determined to get them back," the human murmured.

Mewtwo flicked his tail and forced his hands to unclench. **_When I awoke, I was…_**Lost. Hurt. He had felt like something important had been taken from him, leaving a gaping hole that he had no idea how to fill. **_…confused. I lashed out, and I did things that I regret now. I cannot allow my mistakes to be repeated._**

The human barely knew of Mewtwo's past atrocities, and yet he still had a healthy bit of fear for him. Mewtwo was trying to keep a balance of not lying, while still conserving his precious privacy. Now that the boy knew what was at stake, that another Mewtwo could be created, he should be much more motivated to retrieve the cells. Not that the child wasn't working hard already, but his father had set aside the mission. Mewtwo had to ensure the boy wouldn't either.

"That's what you fear," the boy whispered, drawing Mewtwo out of his thoughts.

Mewtwo looked up at once. **_What?_**

"That's what you fear," the boy repeated. "Humans making another clone, and hurting others…like how you did."

The human said this like it was some grand revelation, that Mewtwo should _fear_something, but in truth, Mewtwo was more familiar with terror than he would ever let on. His fear when he had first woken up and reached out, knowing that _something _was wrong and trying to fix it. When Giovanni had told him he was only a tool, and Mewtwo had desperately hoped the scorching betrayal wasn't true. When his clones had been captured by the psychotic Team Rocket. When he had traded himself to Giovanni to save them, and had been so sure he was about to become a mindless slave, but instead chosen to fight back, though it meant certain death. When the female doctor had taken his cells from him, and he had been helpless to fight back, panicked that they were already cloning him while he was trapped in that abominable vat.

Mewtwo's pride, however, kicked in. **_I am powerful, but also astute, _**he said pointedly. **_It would be foolish if I was not wary of another one of myself entering this world. It would be one of the few creatures that could pose a threat to me._**

"Right," the boy said, and Mewtwo did not appreciate his doubting tone.

**_I fear nothing,_**Mewtwo insisted again, glaring at the boy.

"If you say so," the boy shrugged.

Mewtwo was about to object when the boy yawned widely, and something about watching it made Mewtwo realize he was exhausted as well.

**_That is enough for tonight, _**Mewtwo said firmly. **_You wanted me to come here for rest, so rest we shall. _Both _of us. Sleep, human._**

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it, I was just hungry," the boy. He began to close the pack of cookies, before pausing for a second and then holding it out to Mewtwo. "You _sure_you don't want some?"

Mewtwo glared until the human backed down. "Suit yourself." He stuffed them back into the desk drawer. "But you're welcome to them if you want."

Mewtwo curled himself up on the floor, wrapping his long tail around himself. He lay there while the human fussed about the room, slipping out at one point to use the 'bathroom.' Mewtwo refused to sleep until the human did, for as much as he knew he wasn't in danger, he would feel better that way, so he merely shut his eyes and listened to the human's meandering. He had to admit, he liked this much better than the outdoors. The floor didn't drain heat from his body like the stone and rock he usually slept on, and there was no constant breeze on his skin. The walls around him muffled outside noise, which helped him relax as Mewtwo tended to jump to awareness at every little noise, especially when about to sleep.

He was adapted to the outdoors, but he had been created in sterile labs, built for sophistication. The technology and complexity was something he understood, and it felt calming to have this all at hand. Mewtwo may have a distaste for almost all humans, but their systems and homes were another matter. Out of all the possible places he could have been ensconced, this one was…quite pleasant.

Finally the human returned and settled into his bed. Mewtwo kept his eyes closed, imitating sleep as he felt the boy's mind dim out of consciousness.

"Goodnight, Mewtwo," the boy whispered suddenly, causing Mewtwo's eyes to open to the dark to look at him. The child was entirely asleep, cozy in his slumber. He was completely at ease that Mewtwo, a dangerous, powerful Pokémon rested in his room. So why was Mewtwo still so uneasy to rest in the presence of one human boy?

Even in these somnolent conditions, Mewtwo still couldn't remove that nagging feeling that he wasn't safe. His gaze trailed away from the boy and landed on the…_beanbag._

After a moment's thought, Mewtwo caved a little and lifted the blanket the boy had laid out off of it. Mewtwo wrestled with it, wrapping it around himself and cushioning his head by wadding it up. Sinking into the warmth that slowly made his muscles relax and calmed his mind, he counted his own breaths until finally, he slipped into sleep.

OOO

**_RELEASE ME! _**

_Mewtwo screamed with every cell in his brain. But it was of no use; none of the despicable humans outside even reacted. None of them heard. This cage, this prison of advanced technology and design…it neutralized his psychic abilities. His power, which usually was so interwoven with his own life force, was inactive. Forced down as if the weight of the ocean were forbidding it to move. Mewtwo felt like only a third of his mind was aware, suspending him in a semi-awake stake. It limited him in ways he did not know he could even be limited; his thoughts, his body, his psychic abilities, even his senses to know what was happening around him. The closest memory he could compare this feeling to were the two machines Giovanni had designed specifically to subdue him, years ago…_

_His freedom was taken, his powers were taken, his mind was taken, his own voice was taken, what would be next? His own thoughts kept circling back to 'must escape, must escape, must escape,' an instinct deep enough that it reacted automatically yet his consciousness was too weak to plan anything beyond that rudimentary response. _

_He needed to breath air again, to feel it on his skin, to stretch his body out and to sense the world around him with his psychic energy again. To inhale the force of all life and matter near him, and clear away this agony that fogged his brain. Without it, it was worse than being sightless, voiceless, deaf, and without any feeling at all. He would trade all his senses to get his psychic abilities back. He felt like a three-dimensional being, condensed and trapped in a two-dimensional world. He had no sense of time, as every second faded into the next, blurring into each other. Was he here for years, or only minutes?_

_"Life is wonderful."_

_ He had once been told that, but he didn't know by whom, or when, or why. It was spoken in a gentle voice, a voice wasn't his and wasn't the voice of the humans outside. He knew it, though, it had haunted his dreams since before he could remember. It echoed deep within his mind now, and he wondered briefly where it had come from. Wondered if the person who had said it had considered these conditions. But with the humans chaining down his very thoughts, he couldn't sort out what were dreams, what were memories, and what was reality. He tried to determinedly to remember. He could remember…the laboratory in which he was born. Was he there now, and it had all been a dream? No, the young trainer dying in the crossfire energy blasts had to have been real. …Was it?_

**_"Who am I? What am I?"_**

_Mewtwo's own _identity_was being torn apart within this containment! He fought against it again, trying so excruciatingly hard to break something—_anything_—with his psychic strength but it wouldn't work. The energy wouldn't come to his command like it once had so willingly, now forced into a lethargic state._

_Mewtwo collapsed, breathing hard, gasping in the processed oxygen through the water. His advanced diverse DNA allowed him to breath liquid as easily as air, but this was different from any air or water he was used to. Even the oxygen levels were controlled…Mewtwo's breaths couldn't clear up the headache he had given himself, no matter how deeply he inhaled. His captors were trying to keep him unconscious as much as possible, _weaken_him as much as possible._

_He looked up through his little window to the rest of the world, to the freedom kept tauntingly visible and almost within reach. His prison guards were just on the other side, uniformed with white lab coats and equipped with vile human technology. Mewtwo saw the woman again. Her black hair and eyes that watched him like a ravenous Mareanie. _

_It took a moment for the memories he had of her to drift up to his consciousness. Since his capture, whether that had been days or decades ago, he had watched her with the other scientists, as much as he could with his minimal awareness and fogged mind. It was clear she was the leader, and so the most culpable of this situation. But it wasn't that which made her the biggest threat out of all of them. The other scientists, when they stood before Mewtwo's cage, kept their eyes down. They avoided his direct line of vision as much as possible, hiding away from his sight, only doing so clearly when they needed to. They flinched when Mewtwo looked at them, imprisoned though he was. But this one, this female, she was not afraid. She stood right before the glass, held his gaze, and grinned like a human child watching a rare Gyarados at a zoo exhibit. She would stay there, studying him for what seemed like hours, completely unintimidated._

_Mewtwo vowed that _when_he escaped this place, she would learn proper fear._

_Mewtwo glared mutinously at her, the one way he could fight back at the moment, but the decreased oxygen was taking effect on him. His vision went dark for a moment and his eyelids drooped, but he uncompromisingly pulled himself back to consciousness again._

_When he looked back up, he saw that the woman was grinning as if the Gyarados had jumped through a hoop. She turned her head and said something to the other scientists but Mewtwo couldn't hear her. Before he could futilely make his dull mind wonder what she might be planning, there was a sudden, sharp pain in his side._

_Mewtwo gasped, inhaling water—for a moment, in his shock, he choked on it and coughed it out—and taste-smelled something _different_within it_.

_His blood._

_Time froze. And then adrenaline surged through his body to give him coherent thought. His blood. His DNA. They had made him _bleed._They had pierced his skin, with some extremely concentrated needle no doubt, to take his cells._

_Mewtwo, all in one moment of incisive panic, kicked against the glass and managed to get a grip on his psychic powers. He tried to reach out, to shatter the cage and free himself. The water around him shook and the wires writhed, but then it all collapsed unto itself, like sand hit by an ocean wave. The energy was gone as quickly as it had come, sparked only by emotion and panic, but without air to support it, and with drugs and this cursed technology weighing it down, it vanished right from his grip. He was powerless._

_They had milked him for his DNA. They had forced him to be a living donor, as if he were no more alive than a plant to be harvested. Stolen his cells from him as if he were a mere sack of flesh from which they could take what they wanted._

_What would they do with his cells? The reason Giovanni had pursued Mewtwo so determinedly was because it would take years to clone another Mewtwo, if it was even possible, since Dr. Fuji was dead. But with Mewtwo's very cells, could Giovanni accomplish it?_

_How could this happen again? From the very beginning, Mewtwo had been used. As a science experiment, as a weapon, as a tool, as a slave…and here he was once more, when he had sworn he would never be again. His own cells harvested from him against his will, operated by these humans as if he were a mere object…_

_Darkness was beginning to wrap around him. He felt it dragging down his mind into deep blackness. His vision blurred, and his body refused to respond. No…no…he had to get back his cells before the humans could….could…. His consciousness was being forced down…_

The memory changed, although Mewtwo's mind was in no state to recognize it.

_::Humans are weak creatures, living off the backs of Pokémon,:: whispered his own voice._

_::Pokémon are weak creatures, living off the backs of humans,:: whispered the new voice._

_::The Pokémon allow themselves to be enslaved by the humans, obeying their whims and falling over in servitude. If Pokémon used their own wills and minds, as I do, then _they_could easily be the ones in control. They cling to their humans, almost as if they are deluding themselves that they need the humans, that they rely on the humans, and fail to see how backwards that view is. How could the creatures that I have been created from be such miserable vermin? I will be_nothing_like them.::_

_::The humans are more advanced and yet allow Pokémon to live among them. Pokémon are here to be used, to progress our kind, but they are incapable of wielding their power to the full potential that humans could bring it to. If humans were in the bodies of Pokémon, and had the same abilities and strengths, humanity could be brought to its peak. We live side by side with Pokémon, yet the natural divisions between us hold us back. We need to destroy these divisions and unite.::_

_::Both humans and Pokémon are pathetic. They both should be destroyed, so that a superior race may take control of the earth. It will be a new era.::_

_::Both humans and Pokémon have strength, but humans have the better mind. The mind of the Pokémon should be cast out, so that the humans may take control. It will be a new era._

_I will do this,:: the new voice said with conviction, :: I will start a new age that combines the strength of Pokémon and the superior human intelligence, not just how they work and live together, but how they _are_together.::_

_::These thoughts…:: Mewtwo whispered, but no one could hear him, ::these thoughts are not my own, yet they are infused with my own mind. How could they invade me this deeply? What am I if I cannot even have my own mind?::_

_The other thoughts were so _familiar._Was that because they were, or because the wretched mind link melded them so closely to Mewtwo's? It horrified and sickened him how much these ideas mirrored his own, or at least, what his own used to be. The voice of Howard Clifford seeped into both Mewtwo's conscious and unconscious. The thoughts, the thoughts of Howard Clifford dominated his brain like flaming oil poured on top of water. They controlled his body, his actions, and Mewtwo was helpless but to watch through his own eyes as his own power was used by the human. His flesh which had been created by humans now belonged to a human._

_Mewtwo had thought that though humans had created him, they could never enslave him. They could never control his will. He was a living, sentient, individual creature._

_In this moment, he had never felt more wrong. He was a tool, a weapon like before. His soul, his mind, his free will, snipped away from his body and cast aside by another who used his flesh like a mere lifeless puppet, or an empty vessel to be filled, ignoring the life already in it._

_Mewtwo fought against it with everything he had, his own mind trying to rip Howard Clifford's to shreds. But it was of no use. He couldn't live like this, couldn't exist like this, he had to fight, had to escape. But this situation plagued him wherever he went. Dr. Fuji—Giovanni—Dr. Laurent—Howard Clifford—human after human, imprisoning him—_

**_STOP!_**

Mewtwo shot up and felt something constrain against his body. At once his psychic powers responded to his instinctual whims and ripped into it, tearing it to shreds like a foe he battled for survival, like how he had wanted for Howard Clifford.

"Mewtwo—_MEWTWO!"_Mewtwo catapulted back so fast he landed on the beanbag, which both cushioned and destabilized his fall. He scurried up, his wildly swinging tail knocking against something as he tried to find his footing and balance with both his legs and his arms, frantically looking side to side, expecting attackers and needles and mechanical hands to come and force him down once again.

His gaze landed on the human. The boy held his hands up, showing that he had no weapon or Pokémon to command, as harmless as a human could be. And yet, humans had harmed Mewtwo momentously.

Mewtwo tore his gaze away and took in surroundings, trying to find whatever the threat was. But the walls around him were not those of a sterilized lab, there were no scientists here, and the thing constricting him that he had torn apart was merely a blanket. It had all been a dream. A dream of a memory…

Mewtwo returned his gaze to the boy, who was now looking at the door. Since Mewtwo had calmed, the boy was alertly watching and listening…for his father, Mewtwo realized.

How much of a racket had Mewtwo made? Would the father now wake up and come inspect?

Mewtwo was half a second from fleeing into the night through the window when the boy sighed in relief. "Thank goodness my Dad's a heavy sleeper."

Mewtwo also felt a small relief that there were no sounds or psychic warnings of the detective waking up, but he was still anything but calm. The dream remained in his mind, the phantom feeling of Howard Clifford in his head still there.

He shook his head. Although he had come here for safety, it was still a human home. He could not show any weakness, and still had to be on guard. He trusted the boy…but years of experience had taught him caution when it came to humans.

The boy turned his gaze back to Mewtwo, and Mewtwo instantly froze. This had been a bad idea. He should never have come here; the human would want an explanation, and all Mewtwo needed right now was to be alone, as he belonged.

As expected, the human asked him. "What happened?"

**_Nothing,_**Mewtwo cast off, forcing his hands to release their iron grip on the bag and stiffly getting to his feet on solid ground. **_It was merely a bad dream. I should leave._**

"Hold up a minute," the boy objected as Mewtwo took a step towards the window. Internally, Mewtwo scowled. "I realize you're not used to having people help you, Mewtwo, but when someone is distressed, they shouldn't be alone."

That is _precisely_what Mewtwo should be. **_I can handle myself,_human,**Mewtwo spat.

A small flash of irritation crossed the boy's psyche, but it was replaced with forced patience. "If you just run and try to ignore the dream, it'll only fester."

That gave Mewtwo a pause. He took that fact and tried to compare it to the other times he had brooded over a nightmare. Normally, after a bad dream, Mewtwo didn't sleep for the rest of the night. He would have a miserable day but keep himself awake for as long as possible. Because if he got exhausted enough, _sometimes_he could go back to sleep and not have dreams. But more often, the visions returned the moment he closed his eyes.

As much as Mewtwo hated assistance from a human, especially in something he was so vulnerable in, there was one ineffable thing he couldn't deny…that he dreaded going back there. And unless he did something different, he probably would the next time he fell asleep.

**_What do you suggest? _**Mewtwo asked, still ready to leave if he decided he was wasting his time.

"Dreams seem scary when they're in our own minds," the child answered immediately. "But when we talk about them, it helps us realize that it's all in our own head."

That was ridiculous on multiple levels. Firstly, because _of course_it was all in Mewtwo's head. It was a _dream,_after all. Secondly, because they were _memories_as well as dreams, and thus had legitimate fears.

Mewtwo decided to say as much. **_These are memories, not only dreams. They are as real as you and I standing here now._**

The boy tilted his head. "And yet they haunt you now, when they happened long ago. You're safe now, but your mind is making you fear something that is no longer a threat to you."

Mewtwo couldn't help it; he laughed. A cold, dark, and bitter laugh. _No longer a threat to him? _As if the boy had any idea. Mewtwo had fled from Giovanni, and Giovanni had come for him. He had fled from mankind itself, and they had come for him. He had fled from Howard Clifford, and he had come for him. And yet, the boy thought that being used and controlled was no longer a _threat?_It always would be.

The boy frowned at him. "Why are you laughing?"

Mewtwo managed to die down his cruel laughter to a dark chuckle. **_I am the most powerful Pokémon in the world. We both know that humans will always pursue me for my strength._**

"Yes," the boy granted slowly. "But why are you afraid _now?"_

**_I am not afraid! _**Mewtwo snarled. He wasn't afraid right here, at least. He knew he could escape. He was _trying_to_,_but the _child_wanted to _talk. _And, much as he hated to admit it, he had come to respect the boy enough to listen.

The child in question shook his head. "No, I'm not accusing you, I'm asking you. Dreams are our subconscious at work. Yours is bringing you memories to put you on guard because it's afraid of something. What is that?"

Mewtwo was silent, although he knew. With humans constantly pursuing him, he had to be constantly alert. That was the reason for dreams like these. To remind Mewtwo that for his entire immortal life, he would always be at risk of being enslaved.

It led to paranoia, and he always had to be on guard. He had to be ready to fight if he were found, which could happen at any moment. The dreams…the dreams reminded him of the consequences should he be lax in his vigilance.

"You fear that you're going to be caught again," the boy said softly. Mewtwo's head shot up; had he accidentally projected his thoughts? The boy waved a hand. "You said it yourself; people hunt you all the time. But how is anyone going to find you _here?"_The human waved a hand to encompass the room around them. "Right now, you're safe. Many people think you've skipped town. And even if they're looking, they'll never look into individual private apartments. Nobody else knows you're here. You have secrecy. You have walls so no one can just stumble upon you." The boy's voice became softer. "And you have me. You think I would just sit by if somebody attacked you?"

Mewtwo stared. The logical part of him cast the boy's statement off, for what use could the child be in defending he, _Mewtwo,_the most powerful Pokémon? The child didn't even have a Pokémon partner of his own. He wasn't even a full-grown human.

And yet, Mewtwo didn't think he had ever gotten an offer of protection before. He was feared, outcasted, scorned, hunted. Not comforted or reassured. It felt strange, to have someone tell him they would stand up for him. That he wasn't…alone.

"Do you know that you're safe here?" the boy asked.

Mewtwo was quiet. He wasn't sure how long the silence went on. Perhaps a minute. Perhaps an hour. Perhaps only a few seconds.

**_Yes._**

"Good." The boy nodded. "As for the future…" the boy pursed his lips. "I can't guarantee about that. But I do know that you can't live your life in fear, Mewtwo."

Mewtwo was starting to see the logic in the boy's words, so he was less mocking when he responded. **_How can I not? We both know I will always be pursued._**

"I hope it won't be forever," the boy sighed deeply, and Mewtwo blinked. It had never even crossed his mind that one day humanity might mature enough not to abuse him. Was that hope possible, or merely an ideal imagination?

"But you know Mewtwo," the boy said, drawing him out of his thoughts, "You don't have to go it alone." He gave a faint swallow. "You can always come to me if you need help. And maybe someday, if you feel like trusting him, my Dad could help too."

Mewtwo stared at the child, trying to imagine how one single human—or even two, for that matter—could possibly handle his trials. To face the ambitious, greedy, and power-hungry humans, like Team Rocket. Mewtwo's power was his to bear alone, and the evil and avarice were his to face.

Yet somehow, the load just felt a little bit lighter.

He bowed his head.**_Thank you,_**he said softly. **_That…helps._**

The boy smiled. "So do you think you can get back to sleep?"

Mewtwo's mind was in such a tangled state he wasn't sure he could even blink at the moment. But without a word, he went back to his spot on the floor, and laid down in the rags of the blanket. The boy watched him for a second, before settling himself back down.

Mewtwo was completely still, but anything but calm or relaxed. He laid there, rigid, for what seemed like an eternity. But eventually, somehow, he drifted back into sleep.

And he had no dreams.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen: Tim

Tim woke up feeling warm, cozy, snuggled, and the only sounds around him were the muffled noises of the city. No alarm or Pikachu to force him out of bed too early. Just a natural rise from fulfilled slumber…

Wait.

That wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Almost every morning, either Tim's alarm got him up or Pikachu came in. Then Tim ate breakfast with his Dad, and then they headed off to whatever detective work Harry decided to do that day. It wasn't Harry's day off. So why hadn't Tim been woken?

Tim pushed himself up and looked around his room, brightly lit with the full light of the day. That made it worse; when Tim woke up, normally it was the gentler beams of the morning sun. But now, the light was golden and full-force.

Then he noticed Mewtwo. Mewtwo, oddly, had perched himself on the highest point of the beanbag Tim had provided, lounging across it in a very feline-like way, like a Luxray or Liepard, even having moved it to the side a little to catch the direct sunlight. The legendary Pokémon was half-propped up on his arms, tilting his down to read a book he had apparently swiped from Tim's bookcase; a biography of Champion Cynthia from the Sinnoh Region.

Tim rubbed his eyes and looked again. Yep, he hadn't imagined it. Mewtwo had willingly laid down on the beanbag. Perhaps Tim's conversation with him late last night had finally made Mewtwo comfortable. But Tim decided then that he would never tell the legendary Pokémon that beanbags were meant for small human children.

"Hey," Tim called, voice croaking from sleep. He was a little surprised that Mewtwo was here. He had fully expected him to leave before dawn.

Mewtwo looked up and shut the book, twitching his tail. He tilted his head in acknowledgement.

"Good morning." Tim pushed down the warm covers and began to get up. "I'm surprised you're still here. Aren't you worried about being found by my Dad?"

**_Your father is not here. He has already left._**

Tim froze. _"What?"_

Not nearly as shaken as Tim was, Mewtwo nodded. **_I sensed him wake up and leave early this morning. He never came to this room._**

Tim stared at Mewtwo, blinking confusedly, before he pushed himself up and hurried out of the room. His sleepy mind had thought that Harry just might have slept in. But he left Tim behind?

The kitchen was empty, and a used empty cereal bowl and mug were in the sink. Harry's jacket that usually hung by the door was gone, and there was no sign of Pikachu. A note was left on the counter.

Tim quickly swiped it up and skimmed through it;

_Heya Kid._

_Thought that after last night, you could use some extra hours of sleep. But Pikachu and I had to go in early to the precinct for work. Lecturing tourist trainers isn't much fun anyway, I didn't think you would want to come._

Tim swallowed, feeling guilty. Because of him, his Dad had stayed up late last night even though he had to get up early this morning. Tim might make his coffee addiction_worse. _

_Relax for today, have some fun. Try not to burn the place down. Maybe check out some more of the city, huh?_

Tim blinked and reread that sentence. His Dad had told him to look into R on his own, and now was encouraging him to look more into Ryme City? Did he suspect what Tim had really done last night? Harry _was_a detective, but how much did Tim's father know?

He read on, looking for clues. _I left you the car if you decide you want to; I'll catch the bus both to and from work. That's a lot easier than trying to find a parking spot. I'll be back tonight; I should be in time for dinner. Although you might have to cook…_

_Stay safe, sport,_

_—__Harry._

Tim wasn't sure how he felt about being left behind like this. Part of him hated that his Dad had left without him, but he also felt like Harry was trusting him to keep investigating R. It wasn't explicitly said, but the suggestion was woven through. Or was Tim just seeing things?

**_I am assuming your father left you alone for the day? _**Mewtwo inquired, striding into the room. Despite Mewtwo's bulky legs that even bent backwards, he moved quite easily on his feet. **_That would make it easier for you to continue our search for my cells._**

"Yeah, Dad's gone," Tim said absently, skimming through the letter again, still wondering if he should be offended that his Dad left him, or flattered that his Dad trusted him on his own. Finally he set the letter down; whether his Dad wanted him to or not, Tim was going to help Mewtwo and find the R.

He looked up at Mewtwo, who had gravitated over to Harry's messy desk. Papers, folders, old mugs, and other clutter covered it until not one square inch of wood was visible. Some of the folders had relevant cases, like _"Ditto Assistant—How?"_and _"Who controls Clifford Enterprises—Howard or Roger?"_Others were completely out of the water, like _"Nurse Joys—THEY'RE CLONES!"_and _"What Does Cubone REALLY look like?" _Mewtwo leaned over to look at them, interested. It was strange, Tim thought, to see this dangerous, elusive Pokémon standing in his apartment as if it were completely normal. It was almost like someone had cut out an image from one picture and taped it to a more realistic one. Rather like some of Harry's 'cases.'

"Want breakfast?" Tim asked. He turned to the cupboards and shuffled through their food. What did Mewtwo, cloned legendary Pokémon, eat? "We had Pokéfood for Pikachu that you could have. And bread with some jam or butter if you like toast, or cereal, or berries…anything sounding good?"

He looked back at Mewtwo, whose eyes were narrowed skeptically. Tim wasn't sure Mewtwo _would _eat. For all he knew, legendary Pokémon didn't need to. But it would be rude not to offer.

After some thought, Mewtwo flicked his tail and relaxed a smidge. **_Some berries would be fine, thank you._**

Tim nodded and took out two bowls. In one he poured cereal for himself, and in the other he put in an assortment of berries for Mewtwo. He put in a little of every kind of berry they had; if Mewtwo didn't like one kind, he could just pick them out.

Mewtwo slid into a seat at the table. As Tim worked, he commented, "You seem more comfortable this morning." Last night, Mewtwo had looked like he would bolt at any moment.

Mewtwo gave a telepathic hum of thought. **_Forgive my paranoia. _**He hesitated, then admitted, **_It is the humans I am uncomfortable with, not the environment._**

"Your 'paranoia' is well-justified," Tim said with a firm nod, putting the cereal away. Even without Mewtwo's hints of being hunted and betrayed in the past, Howard Clifford had hurt him enough to make anyone mistrustful. Tim guessed that since Mewtwo had made it through the night, sleeping and vulnerable, yet woken up fine, it was solidified in the clone's brain that he wasn't going to be hurt.

Tim turned and approached the table with breakfast. After he put down the bowls, and then got water for them both, they began to eat in silence. With a little grin, Tim wondered if he should offer Mewtwo coffee. But Harry would instantly notice any change in their supply of it.

"What do you mean by the 'environment'?" Tim asked after he'd cleared that thought process from his mind. "You're okay with being in the city, you just don't like the humans? Have you lived in houses or cities before?"

Mewtwo seemed to mull the question over for a moment. **_I suppose that the few places on this earth I ever called home have all had the modern luxuries of humans._**

Tim perked up at that. "Really? What kind of places have you called home?"

Mewtwo rolled aside a spiky green Durin Berry in his bowl to reach a bright pink Colbur Berry. **_There was a secluded island on a lake, atop a plateau I once lived on. I built rooms into the caverns, and installed a television system to help me watch the areas outside. The plateau's treacherous conditions made it very difficult for humans to reach. _**Tim smiled to himself, trying to paint the picture in his mind. Yes, he could easily see Mewtwo being drawn to such a place. **_I also once built my own home, on an island in the sea. I had my own laboratory there._**

"A laboratory?" Tim repeated, impressed. It seemed crazy to him that a single Pokémon could build such things, but he supposed with Mewtwo's powers, all he had to do was wave a hand, assembling it just as he had with the car. This must have been what Mewtwo meant when he said he was experienced in architecture. "What did you study there?"

**_The weather._**Mewtwo's voice was suddenly cold, and clearly left no room for further questioning on the matter. Tim took the hint.

"I've mostly spent my life in a little town pretty far from here," Tim said, smoothly moving the conversation back. "The city's a big change."

**_Yet you enjoy it? _**Mewtwo asked with some curiosity.

Tim nodded. "Definitely." He grinned. "When I came, the only thing I wanted to do was handle the situation with my Dad and then go home. But now, I'm just…happier."

Mewtwo met his eyes, seemingly searching for something within them. His voice became soft. **_Sometimes it is the changes we run from that we find are truly the best for us. _**He seemed to have a wealth of experience in his words, and Tim debated asking for more details about it. He decided not to.

"So," Tim said, once he was halfway done with his cereal, "I was thinking of places where Dr. Drew might take R. The best I've come up with is where we found the R in the first place."

Mewtwo tilted his head. **_Before or after Howard Clifford was imprisoned?_**

"Both," Tim answered reasonably. Well, he had first found R here in his Dad's apartment, but he was certain Harry had also found in the next place Tim had seen it. "The underground Pokémon battle stadium."

Mewtwo sniffed disapprovingly. **_You humans love your Pokémon battles._**

"Pokémon do, too," Tim pointed out before moving on. "Howard Clifford first used the place to test R, and then once the trainers there got fond of the stuff, Dr. Drew seems to have sold it to them." Tim didn't have much solid proof for that, but it was an easy connection. "So they might know where else Dr. Drew might have gone."

Mewtwo did not look convinced. **_That is how you expect to locate our prey?_**

"This'll work," Tim insisted eagerly. "I'm sure of it." He could feel it in his jellies.

Mewtwo eyed him for another minute, before giving a mental sigh and taking another bite of his berry. **_Very well._**

Tim beamed at him.

Mewtwo lazily waved one of his fingers and a handful of his berries levitated into the air, before parading their way into his palm. **_This underground establishment must have an aptitude for hiding from the law enforcement. How do you intend to find them?_**

Tim opened his mouth…and then closed it. That was a very good point. The first time Tim had found them was because of Mr. Mime. The second time was with Harry. But with all the disasters they'd been going through, like when the Charizard had torn apart one arena and then Harry had shown up investigating not much later, the battlers would likely be airing on the side of caution. In fact, it was the middle of the day. They probably wouldn't even be active until nightfall.

_No, _thought Tim firmly. _Sebastian said that with all the trainers in town, they were especially active. Surely they're battling even right this second. _

At Tim's lack of response, Mewtwo huffed. Offended, Tim put his hands on his hips. "Hey, we'll figure it out. I don't see _you_suggesting any ideas."

Mewtwo's eyes became slits and brightened unnaturally.

_Okay, Tim, perhaps that wasn't the smartest thing to say. _His throat became very dry and he tried to hide his instinctive swallow.

Mewtwo stared him down for a smallest of eternities, and then relaxed, his anger vanishing like a summer storm. **_Very well. _****I****_shall locate your suspects._**

Tim blinked. "Just like that? How?"

Mewtwo picked up an Oran Berry and nibbled on it. Unlike Harry, Mewtwo's telepathic voice couldn't be muffled by a mouthful of food. **_Though the city is full of activity, a stadium would be a collection of excitement concentrated in one precise location. I can sense such things with my psychic abilities. I am sure it would not take me too long to find._**

Tim set down his spoon. "Why didn't you mention you could do that before?"

Mewtwo was completely uninterested in Tim's ire at him. **_I assumed it was obvious. Either way, now you know._**

"Any other incredible things you can do that I should know about?" Tim grumbled spitefully.

At this, Mewtwo looked up, a small spark of mischief in his eyes. **_Everything I do is incredible._**

OOO

Tim crept into the car lot, turning his head side to side to look for other people. It looked abandoned, but there could easily be someone in one of the cars or just around the corner. It was a pretty great place to hide.

He and Mewtwo had agreed to meet down here. As it was daylight and most people were up, it was best that Mewtwo didn't go out in the open. So, in order to search for the illegal stadium, Tim and Mewtwo would drive around the city until Mewtwo 'sensed' something, and then they would check it out. Tim just had to get Mewtwo to the car without anyone seeing him…

Tim checked around the walls, looking for security cameras, but saw none. There didn't seem to be any people or Pokémon in the lot.

Clearing his throat, Tim called out his impression of a Fletchling. When he was little, still wanting to be a Pokémon Master, he had learned to imitate all kinds of Pokémon calls in hopes of attracting them to catch them someday. Both his Mom and Dad had joined him outside, practicing their nonsense calls they heard from wild Pokémon and watching them react.

Tim paused, but heard nothing. Mewtwo was supposed to come when he gave the signal. He started to call again—

**_I'm right here,_**Mewtwo said from behind him.

Tim jumped and whirled around to see Mewtwo leaning against the car, his arms crossed. The Pokémon had one eyebrow lifted and Tim felt his cheeks redden.

"How long have you been there?" Tim demanded.

**_Since you walked in,_**Mewtwo answered simply.

How had Tim not seen the legendary when he was looking around for humans and other Pokémon? The edge of Mewtwo's mouth quirked up in a sly smile, perhaps guessing—or even directly reading—that thought. **_I thought you said I lacked subtly. Or were your observations incorrect?_**

Tim was getting rather tired of Mewtwo's gloating. "You were supposed to come in when I gave you the signal that it was safe!" Tim argued. "So that you would know nobody else was here."

Mewtwo inclined his head. **_I could already sense as much on my own._**

Tim glowered at Mewtwo in frustration. "Why didn't you say so when I told you 'Come out when I give the signal' back at the apartment?"

**_You didn't tell me what the signal was, so I just came in when you did._**

Tim lifted a hand to his eyes. Was Mewtwo being serious right now? Part of him thought that the Pokémon had kept his silence to tease him. He looked back up and sure enough, Mewtwo had that amused spark in his eyes. "Whatever," Tim mumbled, heading over to the driver's seat of the car. It was best they get inside; someone could still walk in at any moment.

Mewtwo flicked a hand and the car unlocked itself without needing Tim's keys, and then the back door opened by itself and Mewtwo slid in. Tim stomped over to the driver's seat. He looked at the rearview mirror at Mewtwo, who was curled up like a Persian on the seat. Even with him low in the back though, Tim still wasn't sure this would hide him.

"Put that blanket over yourself," Tim said, pointing to the bundle on the car's floor. Harry liked to have the Pumpkaboo-patterned blanket on hand for Pikachu, to be sure his partner was comfortable. It would work fine. "If someone does happen to look inside, let's not make it any easier for them to see you."

**_Very well, _**Mewtwo agreed, untangling the fabric and throwing it over himself.

"All right," Tim turned the key and then looked back at Mewtwo. "Any idea where we should start?"

Mewtwo closed his eyes and bowed his head, completely still as if listening for something. Then he lifted an arm and pointed. **_That way._**

OOO

About an hour and a half later, Mewtwo finally said they were close. It was a little harder than Tim expected to find what Mewtwo was sensing. Not only did Mewtwo occasionally lose track of the psychic-energy-that-is-probably-the-stadium in the 'current of the city's aura,' but even when Mewtwo _did_find it, Tim had trouble navigating the city. Mewtwo could only point in the right direction, not provide any kind of map, so that part was up to Tim. The city streets were mazes rather than grids and there were _way_too many stoplights. He may be growing fond of city life, but city roads were another matter. It was annoying how many people just strutted out onto the roads, trusting the cars to stop in time. Mewtwo didn't like all the sudden breaks, and didn't seem concerned if Tim ran someone over. Not to mention they also ran into a roadblock due to a sleeping Snorlax and had to take a detour. And only fifteen minutes in, Tim had to patiently explain to Mewtwo why he couldn't just drive the car through a city park ("I know there's space to drive there, but cars have to stay on the roads, that's the law").

Things went faster when they got to the less populated parts of town. There weren't nearly as many people around, allowing Tim to drive easier and Mewtwo to keep track of the source without as much distraction. But with less people, Tim wondered how enough trainers to support a stadium could get here.

He got his answer when they reached a restaurant, crowded with parked cars for blocks and a line of people waiting to get in. A sign on the building said _Krookodile's_, with a picture of the hungry Pokémon grinning down at them. It was fairly obvious from the trainers lined up outside that the place was allowing battles. Tim was a little surprised that the police department wasn't around, but they were probably more concerned about more public disturbances of Ryme City law at this point.

"Is this it, Mewtwo?" Tim asked over his shoulder.

Mewtwo leaned forward to look, blanket still over his head. **_Yes. Its energy is nearly identical to the stadium we found a few days ago._**

Tim nodded and looked for a way in. There were two hefty, muscular trainers standing guard by the doors, a Krookodile at their side, inspecting the people in line before letting them pass. "How are we going to get past them…" Tim wondered aloud.

**_I can hypnotize them into letting you pass._**

It took Tim a moment to understand what Mewtwo had just said. Then he slowly turned around to stare at Mewtwo, who was still sizing up the building. "You can _what?"_

Mewtwo flicked his tail carelessly. **_I can erase the memories of others, or put new ones in their minds, if I so chose._**

That gave Tim only_more_questions instead of less. _"What?_Since _when?"_

Mewtwo's eyes lowered from the restaurant, and his hand gripped the car seat more tightly. **_I do not do it often,_**he admitted reluctantly. **_Especially adding new memories—the only time I ever did that was with a nurse several years ago, so I could learn more about Pokémon physiology._**

Tim wasn't reassured. This was next-level manipulation, a power that was too dangerous, even compared to Mewtwo's incredible strength. "And wiping memories?"

At this, Mewtwo was silent for a moment. **_Whenever someone sees me, I tend to wipe their memory if I can._**Mewtwo seemed to catch on that this was making Tim extremely agitated, so he added, **_Both tasks require a great deal of focus and energy. It is not something I can do easily._**

Tim still didn't feel much better, but now wasn't the time. People were starting to get curious of the car just sitting in the middle of the street. And with Mewtwo inside, the last thing Tim wanted was for someone to look too closely. "We are definitely talking about this later," he hissed, fully planning to grill Mewtwo on this one.

Tim managed to find an alley about three or four blocks away, tight and dark and with no one else in sight. He pulled in, double-checked nobody else was there, and opened the door for Mewtwo.

"So what is our plan?" Tim asked as Mewtwo stepped out, shaking off the blanket. "You hypnotize the guards so I can get in, then will you wait outside? Maybe you should head back to the car once they let me in."

Mewtwo shot Tim a glare. **_I am not leaving this all to you, human. I will slip inside through one of the windows._**

Tim wisely decided not to point out that Mewtwo wasn't stealthy. He tried something else. "Is that wise? There's little you can do with so many people around. I don't think it's necessary."

**_After what happened last time at the laboratory?_**Mewtwo lifted his chin to Tim in an accusatory way.

"That wasn't my fault!" Tim defended. "Dr. Drew was already leaving when I found out he was the one with the cells."

**_And if you had not been caught, _**Mewtwo argued in a reasonable tone, **_He would not have known we were onto him._**

Tim glowered, still blaming Dr. Richard for that one. He knew Mewtwo wasn't going to budge on this. Even if worse came to worse, though, Tim didn't think that even all those trainers combined would be able to defeat Mewtwo. "Fine, whatever. Just don't get caught either."

Mewtwo did not even bother to respond to that, so Tim moved on. "So how does your hypnotism thing work?"

**_I will handle it,_**Mewtwo said. **_Just walk up to the security, and I will make them let you pass. Act like it is completely normal, and no one will know the difference._**

Tim bit his lip but nodded, trusting Mewtwo to handle this. Hopefully the legendary Pokémon knew what he was doing, even if this was a difficult technique for him and one he rarely used. And it would have to be done in front of a whole crowd of people, without them noticing.

Tim shook his head; he should really stop overthinking it and just _do_it.

Mewtwo gave him a nod. **_Be careful, human. _**Then Mewtwo shot up into the air and over the rooftops like a Talonflame taking flight. Tim looked up, trying to watch him, but all he saw was the tip of Mewtwo's tail disappear over the edge.

_Act like it is completely normal. Do I even know what normal is anymore? _His Dad had been turned into a Pikachu. He was suddenly a detective-in-training in Ryme City, investigating a chemical that made Pokémon go on a rampage. The most powerful Pokémon in the world had just slept over at his apartment.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Tim turned around and began walking towards the restaurant. Nobody he walked past gave him a second glance. He occasionally looked up towards the rooftops, but saw no sign of Mewtwo. Perhaps the legendary Pokémon was adept at hiding after all.

When Tim reached the building, he kept his head down but tried to observe as much as he could from the trainers waiting outside in the line. A few of them obeyed Ryme City's no-Pokéballs rule, their Pokémon standing by their sides, but others didn't seem to be. He saw bulges in their bags and backpacks that were certainly Pokéballs. It was also easy to tell that they were from other regions from their outfits, with different insignias and even gym badges displayed on their clothing.

While most seemed to be talking amongst themselves, a few of these trainers gave Tim odd looks as he walked past, wondering if he was cutting them in line or simply just curious about him. Despite the fact that they were all lined up for an illegal stadium, all of them looked quite friendly. While waiting, they shared stories from home with each other, showed off their badges, introduced their Pokémon to each other… They smiled, laughed, and listened to one another.

_That's what being a trainer is all about, _Tim thought silently. _It's about adventuring, meeting new people and encountering new things. Making friends, with both people and Pokémon. And one of the best ways to do that is through a Pokémon battle. _

_These trainers aren't here because they're rebellious teenagers; they just don't understand Ryme City's rules. So many trainers have been attracted to one city at one time that they _have_to battle and bond. It's a wasted opportunity otherwise. And if they want to become Pokémon Masters, as I'm sure most of them do…then they're willing to face any challenge._

_I suppose that's what I gave up on when I decided I wasn't going to try to be a Pokémon Master anymore._

Again, Tim flashed back to his dream a few nights ago, in the huge stadium with his own Pokémon. He really did feel like being a detective was his calling, but being a Pokémon trainer had this whimsical allure that could tempt anyone. He passed a trainer girl who had a Togetic perched on her arm, as she reached out with her other hand and affectionately scratched it under its chin. Or perhaps it wasn't just fantastic journey that was so appealing, but having the right Pokémon partner…

Tim had gotten so distracted by all the trainers that he almost ran right into the security guards.

"Hold it, kiddo," one said, stopping him with a hand on his shoulder. The Krookodile leaned forward and sniffed Tim skeptically. "If you're a new trainer trying to get in, you'll have to get in the back of the line like everyone—"

Suddenly the man cut off, and his eyes went cloudy. Tim was right in front of him, and if he hadn't been, then he wouldn't have noticed how the trainer's irises turned dark green. The hand on Tim's shoulder slackened. The other man behind him got a blank expression. Tim swallowed, hoping this wasn't as noticeable to the other trainers as it was to him.

"Oh. You," the trainer said in a slightly more monotone voice. "I recognize you. Proceed." Though he spoke in his own voice, Tim instantly recognized the mannerisms and voice tone as Mewtwo's. The trainer straightened into perfect posture and a detached demeaner. It was _freaky_to see.

With that, he dropped his hand and stood to the side so Tim could pass. Tim heard the trainers behind him grumble, annoyed, but they weren't suspicious. He took a step to the door—

The Krookodile poked its snout in front of him. Tim hastily backed up, eyes falling on the Pokémon's sharp teeth that jutted out of its mouth. Its eyes were beady black, and didn't contain a hint of green. They were alight with intelligence and suspicion.

_Dang it, Mewtwo, what are you doing? _Tim thought angrily.

**_Be patient, human, hypnotism is hard enough without the subject being a dark-type._**

Tim jumped, luckily right as the Krookodile snorted, so it didn't seem too odd. He glanced back at the other trainers, who were watching with some skepticism, a few with concern, but none of them seemed alarmed as if they'd just heard a deep, foreboding voice in their heads. And Tim hadn't said anything—how did Mewtwo even know what to respond to?

_Can you hear me? _Tim wondered. _Can you speak to me without anyone else hearing you?_

**_I have known you long enough that I can recognize your mind against others, and thus more easily isolate it for telepathy, both in reading your thoughts as well as expressing mine, _**came Mewtwo's response, proving it was true.**_Now be calm; the more afraid you are, the more alert the Krookodile will be, and thus harder to manipulate._**

Tim took a deep breath through his nose and looked directly into the eyes of the Krookodile. The two men behind him were still staring off into space dreamily, completely unconcerned. He forced his hands in his pockets to unclench, and tried to appear as relaxed as possible.

The Krookodile sniffed him, flexing its long claws, sizing him up. Tim stood there, facing off with it, for what felt like a small eternity. Then, finally, a few puffs of green clouds fell over the Krookodile's eyes.

**_There we are._**

The tension deflated from the Krookodile's body and it stepped aside, letting him pass. Without trying to look like he was rushing, Tim hurried inside in case Mewtwo lost control. The moment he was out of sight of from the guards, Tim heaved a great sigh, feeling like a Wailord had just been lifted off his shoulders. But his relief was short-lived, as two more people in leather jackets came right up to him on the other side of the door. He froze, but they seemed completely unconcerned about his tension.

They were both a lot less big and threatening than the two men outside. One of them, a woman sharply dressed in a black leather jacket, jeans, and pink loopy earrings that uneasily reminded Tim of Ms. Norman, lifted up a metal detector stick and hastily waved it around his body. Tim instinctively lifted his arms so she could scan him. It beeped in alarm around his hip, making Tim jump.

"Empty your pockets, please," the woman said, her voice dry and bored. She had gum in her mouth. Tim did so, taking out his car keys and Pokedex-phone. The woman glanced them over, scanned again, and when the stick made no more noise she stepped back. She looked completely uninterested. "You may take your Pokédex in with you, but you may not use it. If you do so, we will ask you to leave the premise. Go on."

Tim nodded gratefully and fumbled to stuff his keys and Pokédex back in his pockets. It made sense that they let guests keep them; it would be a hassle to return them, so as long as no one took them out, no evidence could be recorded.

Tim realized right as he stepped through the next set of doors that he hadn't really wondered what would happen when actually got _into_the illegal stadium. He was about to get his answer.

It was _packed._Even more packed than the stadium a few days ago. The building also was clearly not meant to be an arena; the restaurant wasn't equipped to handle Pokémon battles. It was a large space, but the actual arena was just a cleared-out spot in the center of the room, only marked by yellow tape on the floor that several shoes passed over. There was no gate or fence to block the arena from the crowd, which seemed dangerous to Tim. Trainers were all cheering and pushing each other to get a better look at the battling Pokémon; a Leafeon against a Hypno. As Tim watched the Hypno tried to strike at the Leafeon, but the grass-type Pokémon leapt over the Hypno's shoulder to avoid. It was an interesting match, as Leafeon was a far more lithe and quick Pokémon, but Hypno's special attacks gave it great range.

Tim shook his head; Pokémon battles weren't what he was here for. He needed to find trainers who he knew had something to do with R, like Sebastian or one of his friends. With a grimace, Tim pushed his way into the crowd.

After shoving, pushing, avoiding getting stepped on, and also getting stepped on, Tim finally managed to catch sight of the DJ. It was the same one with the two Aipom, the one who Sebastian had handed off R to in order to hide it. He hadn't noticed Tim yet, he was too engrossed in narrating the battle and surrounded by Loudred. In the chaos of the crowd, Tim could easily sneak up on him, if he timed it right.

Tim frustratedly made his way through the crowd again. Annoyingly, he thought of Mewtwo getting to avoid all this. Mewtwo had said he would sneak in through a window; he was probably up in the rafters or hiding in the shadows of the ceiling, completely avoiding this mess.

Finally Tim managed to get behind the DJ's station. It was even noisier here, with the Loudred blaring out top-volume. The announcer was only a few feet away, but Tim couldn't confront him in the middle of a battle, when everyone in the room could hear every word he said. So he waited.

"OHHHHH, AND LEAFEON MANAGES TO ESCAPE HYPNO'S PSYCHIC WITH MAGICAL LEAF! SHE'S COMING AT HIM, HE TRIES TO PUSH HER BACK WITH PSYBEAM BUT SHE DODGES AND COMES AT HIM WITH BITE! WOW, THAT WAS SUPER-EFFECTIVE! CAN HYPNO TAKE THE HIT?" Tim watched the Hypno stagger, sway, and finally collapse. The crowd erupted into cries of excitement. "AAAAAAAAND LEAFEON WINS THE MATCH!"

A trainer, a teenager who look like he was from Sinnoh, ran into the arena and scooped the Leafeon up pridefully before snuggly her close. The Pokémon wrapped her leaf-tail around him in appreciation. Another trainer stepped forward and stroked Hypno sympathetically before returning it to its Pokéball.

The DJ set down the microphone so he could fiddle with controls, and Tim took that opportunity to step forward to grab his shoulder. Not tense or jumpy at all, the DJ looked behind at him, squinted his eyes to peer through the crazed disco lighting, and then his gaze widened with recognition. With Mewtwo watching over the building, there was no way this thug would escape. It would be best if he came without fuss, though.

"We need to chat," Tim said to him, hoping his voice carried through the noise of the room.

The DJ gave him an appraising look, before leaning over and saying something to the other announcer next to him. He slid over the microphone and started to get up. The other announcer's voice boomed through the Loudred. "AAAAAAND NEXT UP, WE HAVE A BLOOD FUED OF GENERATIONS, SEVIPER VS. ZANGOOSE!"

The DJ made a gesture with his hand for Tim to follow, and then wove his way through the crowd. Unsure, Tim trailed behind. These people weren't _bad,_although they acted and some even looked the part. They wouldn't hurt him, but he was still uneasy and wondered if he was walking into a trap. It helped to think that Mewtwo was here…somewhere.

The DJ led Tim to a sort of bar location in the back of the restaurant; still in the same room as the other trainers and the arena, but out of the direct source of the noise so that they could hear each other. An intimidating Chesnaught was standing behind the bar, while the two Aipom from before swung on the shelves. When the Chesnaught saw the DJ getting close, it shooed away two trainers from their seats, making room for him and Tim. They sat down together, and the Chesnaught prepared them drinks. Despite its clumsy arms and only three fingers, the Pokémon managed to pour their glasses flawlessly and set the two in front of them. The DJ took a swig of his, while Tim ignored his own. It probably wasn't Moomoo Milk.

"You're Harry's kid, right?" the DJ asked. "New in town?"

"I am," Tim said, surprised the guy knew him. Tim had certainly never met him before. "You know me?"

"Sebastian's been ranting about you for weeks," the DJ said, leaning an arm against the bar. "Almost as much as he rants about your father. 'That kid is a punk!' and 'That Pikachu's gonna get CRUSHED next time!' and the like."

"Oh." This guy didn't seem too disturbed that his friend's hated rival's son was currently sitting next to him. "So you know my Dad too?"

"Sure do," the DJ took another drink. "Not as well as Sebastian does, though—never been able to battle him. My name's Diplo, by the way."

"Diplo?" Tim repeated doubtfully.

Diplo shrugged. "What can I say? It's a DJ name. And yours is…?"

"Tim."

Tim was still trying to wrap his head around how unexpectedly friendly this DJ was being and how to respond it.

"So, are you here because you're a battler and a rebel like your dad, or are you looking for information?" Diplo asked.

Tim debated arguing that his Dad was always looking for information when he came to these illegal stadiums, not to break Ryme City law and get into prohibited battles. But then he realized that it was probably both.

"Information," Tim said, bringing his mind back to what he came here for. "I need to know everything you can tell me about that R chemical you had."

Diplo scoffed. "'Course you do. I should've seen that coming." He tapped his fingers against his glass. His eyes slid to Tim's. "You know that's Berry Juice, right?"

"It is?" Tim said, surprised. He lifted the drink to his nose, and smelled the sharp scent of the common, innocent drink. Not convinced, he took a sip. Sure enough, that's what it was. "Oh." The two Aipom on the shelves chittered in amusement.

Diplo grinned. "We're trainers, not delinquents."

"Nah, just because you're breaking the law doesn't mean you're criminals," Tim said dryly. Diplo shrugged, and Tim leaned forward. "So. R. What do you know?"

"Hmmmmm," Diplo hummed nonchalantly. Tim was beginning to get frustrated before Diplo suddenly began listing off information uninterestedly. "Sebastian's fascinated by the stuff. It's helped him do some awesome and impressive battles. I never liked it all that much, I prefer it when I can actually _control_my Pokémon. When they're actually my partner instead of going wild."

"Where did you get it?" Tim asked urgently. "You still had some after Howard Clifford stopped giving it to you. When Ms. Norman stopped coming, where did you find more? Did you have some left over?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Diplo tutted, shaking his head. "Your pops hasn't shown you _all_the ropes yet, apparently." He waggled a finger in front of Tim's face. "You want more information? You're going to have to earn it. In a Pokémon battle. With me."

Tim blinked and bit down his instinct to say, '_I don't have a Pokémon.'_If he said that, Diplo would instantly become indifferent to him. "Why do you want to battle me?" Tim asked instead. Surely there had to be over a hundred trainers here, itching for a battle.

Diplo shrugged. "Your dad is the champion of the ring. Sebastian is right behind him." He jerked his head at the Chesnaught, who was watching them closely. "That's mine; Chesnaught's a grass-fighting-type, and he'd be just as strong as that Charizard if it weren't for that type advantage. If I beat the Pokémon that beat Charizard, I'll prove it." He leaned forward. "You got that Pikachu?"

"No," Tim admitted. It could take hours for Tim to track down Pikachu, convince his Dad to let Tim borrow him, and then get back here for a battle. And even if he did, it would be practically admitting to his Dad that he had gone to the illegal arena on his own. While his Dad already knew something was up, Tim didn't want to outright _tell_him.

"Dang," Diplo sighed. "Well, not too bad. If I beat you, your pops is sure to get interested enough to have a battle with me. So, it's the next best thing." Diplo finished off his Berry Juice. "What'll it be?"

This was apparently how they did things here; Tim would get his information, and Diplo would satisfy his want to battle and get the possibility to battle his Dad in the future. But there was still the issue that Tim didn't have a Pokémon, and he would certainly get a strange look if he admitted that, along with the constant response of 'Why not?' And worst of all, it meant Diplo would refuse to give him the information.

"Why don't I just tell my Dad to battle you, and then we call it square? Would you give me the information for that?" Tim tried.

Diplo shoved his shoulder. "Come on, that's no fun. What Pokémon do you have?"

Tim hesitated. Well, technically, he did have _one…_

_Mewtwo? _Tim thought as hard as he could. He wasn't sure how this bond between them worked. Did Mewtwo have to sense him, or could Tim reach out on his own? _Can you hear me?_

**_I hear you, human. I see you have found a human who seems to know something about my cells. What is happening?_**

Tim swallowed. This wasn't going to go over well. _He says he'll talk if we beat him in a Pokémon battle, _Tim thought uneasily.

Mewtwo was silent for a beat. **_'We'? _**Yep, there was the deep, scary tone.

_Please? _Tim pleaded. _He's not a bad guy; this is just how they do things. You can obviously beat him, and then he'll give us the information willingly. It's just _one _human who will see you._

Tim could _feel_the irritation coming off Mewtwo in waves. But then they calmed a bit; he still wasn't happy, but he was open to this idea. **_I will not battle in this ridiculous public arena, _**Mewtwo said haughtily.

Tim turned his attention back to Diplo. "I have a Pokémon," Tim admitted, "But he's not really a performer." Tim nodded his head towards the arena, with Seviper and Zangoose still duking it out. "Could we battle away from the crowd?"

Diplo smiled. "Doesn't make any difference to me." He nodded his head towards a back door. "This building has a few other rooms—reservable private dining areas or something like that. Will they do?"

"Awesome, that's great." Especially the 'private' part. _Hear that, Mewtwo?_

**_Perfectly, human. I will follow you._**

"Lead the way," Tim waved towards Diplo.

Diplo grinned again and pushed himself up. He tapped his fingers on the bar, and the Chesnaught turned around and lumbered its way out from behind it. The Aipom watched them, but stayed where they were on the counter.

Tim followed Diplo to the back door, leaving the raving crowd behind and saving his eardrums. The Chesnaught let him pass first and then took up the rear. If it wasn't for Diplo's aloof attitude, Tim might have been nervous with such a big Pokémon blocking his way out.

"So, what kind of Pokémon do you have?" Diplo asked over his shoulder.

"Err…" Tim shuffled nervously.

Diplo yammered on, not noticing Tim's awkwardness. "I'm really passionate about Pokémon—always loved 'em, you know? I was one of those kids who caught bug-types at the creak in my neighborhood. They're such amazing creatures." He glanced back. "Since you don't want to show this Pokémon of yours off, is it, like, a rare one?"

"You could say that," Tim said casually.

After a few turns, the three of them reached a decently sized room. Though not nearly as large as the dining area outside, it was still big enough for a Pokémon battle. And, judging from the solid floors and walls, the designer had considered that when making it. A long table was leaned up against the wall, along with a few chairs that were stacked up. There were no windows, the only ways out being the one door and possibly the air vent. Chesnaught squeezed through the door with some difficulty.

"Here's the spot," Diplo said, crossing his arms. "The owners of this restaurant like battles, too, so they agreed to let us use it on their off day." Diplo put his hands on his hips and smiled. "So, can you find your way back here after you get your Pokémon?"

"Oh, don't worry, he'll be here," Tim assured him. He crossed his arms, waiting.

Diplo tilted his head in confusion. "What?"

Just then, the lights in the room went out and for a split second they were consumed in darkness. But then they flickered back on just as suddenly, and Mewtwo stood among them.

Tim had _no idea_how Mewtwo had done that. Obviously Mewtwo could turn off the lights with his psychic powers, but how had he come in? There was an air shaft on the ceiling; could Mewtwo fit through that? Or had he come through the door, even though Tim hadn't heard it open or close? He didn't think Mewtwo could use Teleport, he hadn't seen the Pokémon use it yet. Whatever the way, he couldn't help but be impressed.

Both Diplo and his Chesnaught leapt in surprise, jumping back from Mewtwo like he was a cursed ghost-type Pokémon.

_"__OH MY ARCEUS_IT'S FREAKING MEWTWO!" Diplo shouted, staring at the placid Pokémon in utter amazement.

Tim lifted a hand to his mouth, sheepishly trying to hide his smile. "Yeah, I know."

Diplo swung his head at Tim. "THAT IS MEWTWO." He didn't seem to think Tim understood this very important fact.

"Yep."

"MEWTWO."

**_Indeed, human, _**Mewtwo commented with an air of impatience. **_I believe you offered information of value to me if you are defeated in a battle._**

Diplo blinked. Then he slowly turned his head to Tim, staring incredulously. "_This_is your Pokémon?"

Mewtwo narrowed his eyes and spoke darkly. **_I belong to no one, especially no _****human.**

Tim hurried to correct Diplo more politely. "I don't have a Pokémon, so this is the one I was offering to battle you, yeah." Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea.

Diplo stared at Mewtwo in awe. "How?" he asked in amazement.

**_That is none of your concern,_**Mewtwo said, lashing his tail and crossing his arms imperiously. **_Your only concern is the deal that you offered. A battle, in exchange for knowledge._**

Diplo didn't seem to care at the moment that his curiosity had been shot down quicker than an Inteleon's Snipe Shot. "Freaking _Mewtwo."_

Mewtwo's impatience only grew, edging on exasperation. **_If you are unwilling to challenge me, then kindly hand over the information we have asked for._**

"No way!" Diplo blurted, and Mewtwo narrowed his eyes again. "I mean—No, I'm not—err—_unwilling_, to battle," Diplo said in a rush. "Battling Mewtwo—that's a dream. Please, I'd be honored to battle. …Sir?" he tried, giving at least an attempt at being more respectful to the majestic all-powerful legendary Pokémon. It didn't seem to move Mewtwo at all.

**_If you will give us the information in return, then very well, _**Mewtwo said carelessly.

Tim tilted his head at Diplo. "You know you're going to lose, right?"

"Totally," Diplo nodded. His Chesnaught smiled and pawed at the ground, looking challengingly at Mewtwo. "But how many trainers can say they ever battled freaking _Mewtwo?"_

Mewtwo actually seemed to consider that question seriously. **_I, personally, would count none of them as battles in the first place, because none of them lasted long enough to get in a single attack._**

At Mewtwo's words, Diplo paled considerably and Chesnaught blinked. Tim wondered if he should count Mewtwo's struggle with Dr. Drew's Pokémon yesterday, but he supposed that didn't count because it hadn't been one-on-one, a fair fight. Apparently whatever one-on-one battles Mewtwo had gotten into with actual trainers hadn't lasted long enough to _be_battles.

Mewtwo noticed Diplo's sudden stillness, and after a moment of deliberation, offered an olive branch. **_As you wish to battle for accomplishment rather than victory, I shall relent from using my advanced psychic abilities._**

Tim was surprised by Mewtwo's offer, and Mewtwo himself didn't seem very happy about it. He was glowering and his jaw was set like he was tasting something bitter. Tim thought that Mewtwo would have preferred to get this over with as quickly as possible. But Mewtwo actually seemed interested in repaying Diplo fairly for giving them the information. Enough so that he was willing to go easy on him just so Diplo could have a satisfying battle.

At this, Diplo's grin returned. "Rad."

Mewtwo's face twitched at that description, but he didn't comment. Instead he turned to face the Chesnaught, lazily glancing it over. Despite the very obvious fact that the Chesnaught was about to get utterly defeated, it seemed quite excited and ready for battle. Tim backed up towards the door and wondered if it might be safer to leave the room. But he wasn't going to leave Mewtwo's side, especially with a human neither of them knew. Still, he went up against the wall, the safest distance he could get.

Diplo, however, just kept staring at Mewtwo in wonder. After a moment, Tim cleared his throat. "Uh, Diplo? Shouldn't you get out of the way and, well…start the battle?"

"Oh! Right, yeah man." Too awed to be embarrassed, Diplo shuffled back to the other side of the room. Tim again squished his smile; whether Mewtwo went easy on him or not, this wasn't going to be a long battle.

**_You may have the first move,_**Mewtwo granted, though everyone had to know that it wouldn't help at all.

"Alright," Diplo cocked a grin, couching down as if _he _were the one preparing to fight. "Chesnaught, Pin Missile!"

"Chesnaught!" the Pokémon affirmed, and the spikes on its body flashed green before shooting out at Mewtwo. Mewtwo dodged easily, sliding to the left, and then to the right as Chesnaught shot again. As the third shot came, Mewtwo went still and his eyes glowed blue. The missiles froze in the air before him, before swirling back around and zooming at Chesnaught. Chesnaught fired a fourth pair of spikes, which hit the reflected missiles and exploded in the air.

"Rollout!" Diplo shouted next. Chesnaught jumped into the air and curled himself into a ball, shaking the ground as he landed and rumbled like an avalanche. He charged at Mewtwo, who flew into the air as Chesnaught barreled below, but the Chesnaught-ball only swirled back around and headed for Mewtwo again. When he neared, he bounded into the air, but again Mewtwo dodged. Before Chesnaught could come again, Mewtwo took a deep breath and used Ice Beam. Chesnaught hurriedly rolled out of the way, but it wasn't just his opponent Mewtwo was aiming for; the floor became covered with ice, and the moment Chesnaught rolled over it, he slid out of control. Collapsing out of his ball form, Chesnaught flailed as he slid across the ice, out of control.

"Vine Whip on Mewtwo!"

Vines sprung out of Chesnaught's flailing fingers and took Mewtwo by surprise when they wrapped around the clone's body. Mewtwo was jerked out of the air as Chesnaught dragged him along his uncontrollable slip. But Mewtwo didn't get pulled along for long; he grabbed onto the vines with his own hands and twirled around, swinging the large Chesnaught into a wall. He bounced off onto the floor before scurrying to his feet. Mewtwo took the opportunity to tear himself free from the strangling vines.

"Try Hammer Arm!" Diplo shouted.

With a powerful leap, Chesnaught charged at Mewtwo with glowing arms, trying to bash him down. Mewtwo dodged again—_dang,_Mewtwo was fast—but before Chesnaught could fall back, Mewtwo swung his tail around and hit him with Poison Jab. Tim flinched, that move was super-effective, and Chesnaught might get poisoned.

As Chesnaught crashed back to the ground, Mewtwo pursued to attack. "Wood Hammer!" Diplo called urgently, and Chesnaught pushed himself back up, lifted his fist that became rigid and hard, and slammed it into Mewtwo as he got closer. This attack actually hit, full force, and Mewtwo staggered back a few steps. But Chesnaught also looked weak and tired; Wood Hammer was a recoil move, and damaged the user as well as the target.

"Bite!"

Chesnaught advanced, snarling with extra-sharp fangs, and Mewtwo tried to press him back with Fire Punch.

"Spiky Shield!" Diplo commanded, and suddenly sharp thorns grew out of Chesnaught's armor. Mewtwo's Fire Punch landed, but he flinched back and shook his hand angrily. A telepathic growl of frustration reverberated in Tim's head. Chesnaught leapt forward and snapped his jaws at Mewtwo, who quickly lifted a shield between them to defend himself with as he recovered.

_Mewtwo's going to win this without a doubt, _Tim thought, _But even so, Diplo and Chesnaught are learning. They've gotten Mewtwo down to their level, close-range, which is where Chesnaught is best. It's a fighting-type, so physical moves are where it shines. While Mewtwo's psychic-type is better with ranged attacks._

Mewtwo's tail twitched just then, before he dropped the shield and flew upwards, dodging Chesnaught's Bite. Retreating a small distance, he shot Psycho Cut down at Chesnaught. Chesnaught wasn't quick enough to dodge the fuchsia energy, and staggered back as Mewtwo shot another.

_Did Mewtwo just read my mind? _Tim wondered.

Chesnaught used Vine Whip to bat the second Cut away, then tried to grab Mewtwo and drag him back down with the tentacle-like plants. But Mewtwo slipped through their grasp and shot one final Psycho Cut that made Chesnaught stagger back before collapsing on the ground, knocked out.

Some part of Tim unclenched now that the battle was over. He had been the one to ask Mewtwo to do this, but he was a little amazed it had all gone as planned. It was all too easy for Mewtwo.

Diplo quickly ran to his Pokémon's side, resting his hands on Chesnaught's arm. "Good job, buddy," Diplo soothed. "You were _amazing."_

Mewtwo lowered himself back to the ground, and Tim tentatively stepped up to the clone's side. Mewtwo glanced back at him, and Tim again wondered if Mewtwo had taken his unspoken advice in the battle.

But before Tim could think of a way to ask, Mewtwo turned his attention back to Diplo.

**_Now,_**he said firmly, **_I believe you have some information for us._**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen: Mewtwo

"That was _AMAZING!" _the human trainer shouted, looking like he might actually cry tears of joy. "You're so fast—and that was you holding back?" Mewtwo waited impatiently for the human to calm down. He had_certainly_been holding back for that battle, staying mostly on the defensive and evasive so that the trainer's Chesnaught could shine on the attack.

Mewtwo's plan for the battle had been to drag it on until the Chesnaught got tired, and then end it swiftly. But when he had heard the boy's thoughts and observations of the duel, he had decided to give them a try. For years, Mewtwo had been desultory towards the standard battle humans orchestrated. He normally did not bother with tactics when it came to combat, despite his intelligence. His strength allowed him to easily triumph over any foe, so there was little need. But the boy's strategy had made it easier, even a little interesting. Despite not having a Pokémon, the child was no neophyte to battling. Mewtwo had finished it up quite immaculately. Now all he was waiting for was the information he had rightfully earned.

Of course, he was going to get it. Mewtwo had placed himself between the trainer and the exit, though, judging from what he sensed of his ebullient mind, the human didn't even notice.

The human trainer turned to the boy. "Where did you find him?"

Mewtwo resisted the urge to snap at the human; he still needed it for information, and so had to tolerate such comments. But he did not _belong_to the boy like other Pokémon belonged to their trainers. He was no servant. He had already told this human as much but it seemed that he couldn't understand in his elation.

The boy shot a slightly fearful glance at Mewtwo. "Mewtwo found me. He's not _my_Pokémon."

The trainer returned to his annoying habit of staring at Mewtwo laudatorily. Mewtwo despised it; yes, he was the most powerful Pokémon to ever live, but he was not some exhibit or science experiment. He wondered if every legendary Pokémon encountered this.

**_The information? _**Mewtwo pressed. **_What do you know of my cells?_**

The trainer blinked a few times before his face twisted in confusion. "Your cells? I thought it was R you guys wanted to know about."

Mewtwo glanced back at the boy, who watched him worriedly. It made sense that these trainers would not be told what the R chemical really was. In fact, their ignorance was probably for the best. If news got out that the powerful chemical was in fact Mewtwo's very cells, it would attract _more_attention. It would be best if this secret were kept.

**_My cells are the primary ingredient to the chemical,_**Mewtwo explained, crossing his arms. **_That is why it is so urgent that we retrieve it all._**

The trainer gaped. His mouth formed words but no sound came out. Finally, he managed to strangle out in a hoarse voice. "Those are _your cells?_All this time, we've been using _Mewtwo's cells?"_

The boy nodded and Mewtwo didn't move, besides taking a deep, silent breath for patience. He could just reach into this human's mind and take the information he desired, but…the human was about to tell them anyway. Mewtwo preferred not to meddle with minds anymore unless necessary.

The trainer slowly lowered himself to the ground beside his knocked-out Chesnaught. He stared off into space wide-eyed for a moment before shaking his head and waving a hand vaguely. "So your cells are what cause Pokémon to get more powerful, but also go crazy?"

Mewtwo flicked his tail. **_My DNA was designed and constructed by a group of some of the most advanced scientists in the world. They could hold a plethora of stimulating properties that may affect both the physical body and the system of the mind. I have no idea what the creators of the R chemical did with my cells, what they may have added or removed, but yes, that is the effect it has on other Pokémon._**

The boy shot Mewtwo a concerned look. "I think it says something about your emotional state that your very _cells_make other Pokémon go on a rampage."

Mewtwo narrowed his eyes at the child. He certainly had a great deal of anger, but he wasn't the only one culpable for that. It was _humans_who had brought him into this world, contrived his body and powers, only to treat him so egregiously. He had no idea what _Berserk Gene_was inside of him. Although, he had to admit, the boy had a point. His own blood was filled with rage and madness…

Mewtwo shook off those thoughts, packing them away. **_So where did you obtain my cells?_**

"After Ms. Norman, that is," the boy added for clarification.

The human trainer paused for a moment, then eased himself back up into standing. After a moment of staring at Mewtwo again, although this time he was considering instead of admiring, his jaw firmed up. "Yeah, it'd probably be best if your—" he cleared his throat, "—_cells_, were off the streets." He lifted a hand to scratch the back of his head. "We got the R from this scientist who showed up a little over a week ago. He probably would've waited longer to approach us after what happened at the parade, but I think he wanted to get in on the big business caused by all the visiting trainers."

"What did he look like?" the boy interrupted. Mewtwo was certain this human trading off his cells was the one they had failed to catch yesterday, but he supposed it was a fair idea to make certain.

"Tall guy, blonde hair. Always wore a hoodie, but it was clear from how he talked and held himself that he was sophisticated and proud. He claimed he was just 'well-practiced in science,' but it was obvious from what he knew that he had _some_kind of degree." The human shrugged. "He only came two or three times, and there wasn't much to see. Sebastian was the one who dealt with him; I came along as backup."

Mewtwo had no desire to track down some other human and battle _him_as well. Yet this trainer seemed to be saying that he didn't know much; that was unacceptable. **_Give us all the information you have,_**Mewtwo commanded.

The human ducked his head at Mewtwo's intimidation and nodded hurriedly. "I d-don't think the seller knew that the R was your cells, either. He said he had a limited supply, and he didn't know how to make it."

The boy's thoughts spiked and echoed across to Mewtwo's mind. Mewtwo tuned in, interested in what the boy had realized from the trifling information. _So he must have gotten it from Dr. Laurent somehow, but didn't know where it originally came from. When he found out she died, he held onto it, planning to sell it later._

**_Interesting theory, _**Mewtwo commented into his mind. He sensed the child's surprise as he glanced at him, but the trainer before them didn't hear Mewtwo's words or notice the boy's reaction. Mewtwo knew he would have to more fully explain this link to the boy later, but now he was focused on finding a way to track down his cells.

**_What else?_**Mewtwo asked. Surely the trainer had something they could use _now._It was helpful to figure out what had passed; but they needed a way to find out where the doctor would head _now._

The trainer swallowed, but a nervous smile twitched on his lips, still amazed at Mewtwo's presence. He ignored it. "Once Sebastian heard there was only so much of the chemical, he demanded to buy all of it. But the doctor refused. He said he already had another big order for all of it, 'at a price we could never match.' He sold us a handful of vials through our meetings with him—for a lot of money, by the way—asked what we else we knew about it, and then vanished."

"What else you knew?" the boy repeated. "_He_asked _you_for information on the chemical? What did you tell him?"

The trainer shrugged. "We knew it made Pokémon a lot more powerful, but also rabid. But sometimes, it seemed like the doctor didn't even know what he was selling." He glanced at Mewtwo. "Now, I think that even more." His gaze dropped to the floor. "That makes me really worried about his 'big order.'"

Another large order for the chemical of his cells? For _all of it? _Mewtwo wasn't sure if this was better or worse. On one hand, all of his remaining cells would be at one place. But on the other, this buyer sounded…determined. They had enough resources and knowledge to be a possible threat. Whatever they wanted his cells for, they had plans for it other than winning a few Pokémon battles.

"Where did you meet him?" the boy asked, sounding as uneasy as Mewtwo was.

The trainer gave an apologetic look. "He found us. He came to our arenas, wherever we happened to be at the time. I have no idea where he came from."

Mewtwo growled audibly; so there was no place they could go, no place that the human scientist might hide.

The human trainer hurriedly tried to pacify him. "I think he said the other buyer was from out of town," he blurted. "Something about how they were 'coming in.'"

Mewtwo went still. From outside of Ryme City? That wasn't good news; that was _horrible_news. If the doctor sold Mewtwo's cells to someone outside the city or maybe even outside the region, it would become infinitely harder for Mewtwo to track them down.

This could have already happened.

**_When would this deal take place? _**Mewtwo boomed.

The human flinched in fear. "I don't know. He said a week and we last saw him just five days ago."

Mewtwo snarled and whirled around, beginning to pace to burn off energy. The human boy was watching him warily, but he did not seem afraid, unlike the trainer. Mewtwo's eyes fell on the unconscious Chesnaught and he wished the Pokémon was awake—_now _he was in the mood for a battle.

He knew that his rage wasn't helping him. It was scaring his informant and wasting time. He stopped and closed his eyes, trying to calm down.

If the trainer was right, then they still had time, even if it was only a few days. They might still be able to catch the doctor before the cells left the city. In fact, this was a guarantee that what the boy said was right; the doctor _needed_to return to the city in order to get his cells to the preplanned buyer.

The boy turned back to the trainer. "Do you have any more R?"

The trainer shook his head. "No. Sebastian had already used all but two vials when you showed up a few days ago, and you managed to take both of them from my Aipom." The trainer didn't seem the least bit resentful or angry about that.

**_Is that all you can tell us?_**Mewtwo said icily.

The human pursed his lips. "I'm sorry. That's it."

**_Then that is all we need from you._**

With that, Mewtwo reached into the trainer's mind and grasped his memories, his vision turning blue as he peered deeper than the physical realm. At once, the trainer's body went still and his expression became blank. As Mewtwo burrowed through, the trainer's emotions brushed past his senses—elation and amazement, threaded with concern for the Chesnaught and guilt over his lack of useful information. But Mewtwo didn't dive too far, not wanting to meddle in the delicate ways of the mind any more than necessary. He swiftly sorted through the trainer's psyche and plucked away the most recent events from his consciousness. The human swayed and fell over, but the boy jumped forward to catch him.

"Mewtwo!" the boy cried in shock. "What did you just do?"

**_They cannot be allowed to remember me, _**Mewtwo said unperturbed, before he turned to the unconscious Chesnaught and did the same. **_So I am erasing their memories._**

The boy's face twisted in confused anger, and he set the trainer gently to the ground before standing up to Mewtwo. "Just like that? You just _wiped_his memories? No explanation, no warning?"

Briefly, Mewtwo remembered the time he had abducted a Nurse Joy to help for his cloning procedures. One night, he had summoned her to him across the sea. He had programmed memories of an entirely different life into her mind, bent her consciousness into absolute loyalty, made her help him with his own goals—the very destruction of her own kind—and then cast her aside when he no longer wanted her. He had even erased what had happened from her mind, so she awoke ignorant of her situation. The only mercy he had granted her was when he explained what happened, if in only a few sentences. But even that, in truth, had been a _taunt._A bit of his rage taken out on humanity, using one of them as they had used him.

He was disgusted with himself just by thinking about it. She had had nothing to do with Team Rocket or his creators, in fact she had dedicated her life to _helping_both people and Pokémon. Mewtwo had done a lot of miserable things, but that one he truly believed he would never recover from. In the end, he and Mew had wiped her memory again and then returned her to her Pokémon Center. She was returned to her own life, completely unharmed and ignorant of the trauma. But still…that particular mistake showed him how horribly wrong manipulation of the mind could be.

**_It is only a few minutes taken from his mind,_**Mewtwo said tonelessly, not allowing any sign of his memories to leak through his expression. **_He will awaken soon and have no idea what has passed. So we must be on our way._**He turned and strode towards the door, psychically flipping it open with a flick of his hand. But the human was right on his heels.

"Wait, we need to talk about this, Mewtwo," the boy began angrily, hurriedly stalking at his side. "You can't just invade people's heads and wipe their memories." Normally Mewtwo would become angry at the command, but at the moment, he just wanted to get out of this human cluster. So he ignored the child and continued to storm his way down the hall. "Stop!"

And then the boy reached out and grabbed Mewtwo's arm.

Mewtwo went still. He was very aware of the contact of human skin against his own, gripping him tightly. For some inexplicable reason, it felt just like the mechanical hands his creators had tried to use to subdue him. He slowly turned his head to look back at the child, eyes alight with anger. **_You dare attempt to restrain me, human?_**

The boy's grip on his arm slackened, but his eyes held no fear. The human failed to comprehend his current state of impotence, and how close he was to being blown down the hallway. "Mewtwo," the boy said deliberately. "I'm not alright with you doing this. I won't help you if you treat people this way, controlling them and taking their free will. We need to talk about it."

**_You think that I take pleasure in behaving exactly like my vile enemies have? _**Mewtwo said in a cold voice. Once, he had. But not anymore.

Recognition came into the boy's eyes as he realized what that meant, and Mewtwo took the opportunity to swipe his arm back. **_You are very wrong. If we must discus it, we shall not do it here. I will meet you back at the vehicle._**

With that, he turned away and left the child behind. Part of him fumed at being held accountable, at being called out by a _human _when _they _were the ones who should be put on trial. Another part of him dreaded it, for he knew the boy was right.

Even through his anger, he carefully avoided the other humans he sensed in the building. He slipped out of the window he had come through and left, flying out onto the rooftops. The roads below were crowded with trainers, who would no doubt jump on him if they saw him, so he took his time making his way back to the boy's car.

Before he leapt down into the alley, however, he stopped and forced himself to take a deep, calming breath. He had promised himself he wouldn't lash out at the boy. It wasn't even the boy's commands that angered him—that was a first—it was that Mewtwo_agreed_with the child. No one should be forced into submission as he had been, several times. But the fact that the boy accused _him_of doing so tore open the wound that had never healed and already hurt so much.

Mewtwo would explain himself. But he could not do it dominated by rage. He had to stay pragmatic.

Clinging to that thought, Mewtwo leapt off his perch and down to the alleyway, the human already waiting for him, pacing around the vehicle.

Despite obviously anticipating him, the human jumped when Mewtwo landed. "Mewtwo." The boy stared at him as if he had not seen him in years.

**_Human,_**Mewtwo said curtly as he straightened. **_I–_**

"Wait, I need to say this first," the boy interrupted.

Mewtwo paused, partly annoyed that he had been interrupted and partly glad of it as he had not been sure what to say. He tilted his head slightly to the side as the human began to ramble.

"I wasn't trying to give you an order—I know you hate that, and I would never make you do something you something you wouldn't want to do. I wouldn't _make_you do anything, really." The boy paced side to side, looking everywhere in the alley except at Mewtwo. "You're your own person—well, sort of—and you make your own choices, but that doesn't mean you can just do whatever you want and not face any consequences. Like erasing people's memories—that's a level of control that's simply unfair. I mean, not only is it a total invasion of their lives, but it also means that you could get away with _anything."_The boy stopped, staring down the alley, fists clenched. "I mean, you said you've done all kinds of nasty things in your past, and I get that you regret them now and want to move on, but if you can just erase people's memories that means you can escape punishment. And—and to be honest, it…it makes me feel that I'm not safe." The boy looked down at the road, and Mewtwo tilted his head to the other side, trying to follow the complex line of thought the boy was spewing out. "How can I trust you if I can't trust my own memories? If my mind is at the mercy of your whim and I wouldn't even know it?" Now, in an abrupt motion that caught Mewtwo by surprise, the boy's head shot up to meet his gaze. "Tell me now, honestly. Have you ever changed my memories?"

Mewtwo, still a bit stunned by the _hurt_in the boy's eyes, answered honestly. **_No. I have not._**

How could he have hurt the boy this much already and not even _done_anything? Humans could be such fragile creatures, but right now, Mewtwo couldn't bring himself to be annoyed at the child's senseless rambles. Then again, it dawned on him that boy was worried that he was being used and betrayed…and _that_Mewtwo understood all too well.

The boy's shoulders sagged in relief and he looked back at the ground. Mewtwo curled his tail in uncertainly, not sure how to comfort or encourage the child. A solution eluded him.

"I believe you," the boy said. Then he drew his shoulders up again. "But even so, I can't just ignore this. _I_wouldn't want it done to me so I can't just stand by and let it happen to other people. If you're going to be erasing people's memories like that, as if you can just control them, _use_them, and cast them off, then I can't help you." He began pacing again. "And I know you said you would hate to be like your enemies, but Diplo back there—he had just had the battle of his life, he helped us with our case, and invading his mind and taking those memories from him seems like a pretty poor way to repay him. It wasn't fair of you. And if you're going to keep doing things this way, then maybe you should find your cells on your own."

Having thus said his piece, the boy stopped and took a deep breath.

Mewtwo stared at him. That was more depth than he would have expected from the boy. A sense of right and wrong that many humans seemed to lack, at least in the ones Mewtwo had interacted with. He found himself admiring the child's candor.

**_Perhaps I should have consulted you before I erased the trainer's memories,_**Mewtwo admitted slowly. **_But try to understand my choice from what I have seen._**Mewtwo took a deep breath. **_I am hunted by many, and there are very few in this world I can trust. _**His clones, Ash, Ash's friends to at least a small degree, Mew, he supposed…and the boy was on that short list now as well. **_Thus I must be very thorough in covering my tracks. Danger always lurks a step behind me. What happened with Howard Clifford proves that, along with the way I am chased by ambitious trainers, and even my own creation is a testament to it. So I decided even before I showed myself to that trainer that I would erase his memory at the end of our encounter._**

"He admired you," the boy said firmly. "He was amazed by you, he respected you, and you…it's like you betrayed him."

Mewtwo refused to see it as a betrayal to the trainer, as he had never promised anything to that human in the first place, but he understood what the boy was trying to say. **_If I could guarantee that the trainer would tell no one else about me, then I would have let him be. But I could not. He was too great a risk._**

"It's easy to say that when you're not the one suffering," the boy muttered.

That was true, and Mewtwo inclined his head to agree. **_But I could be, if he even made the slightest mistake. If he had slipped and allowed anyone else to know that he encountered me, he would be hounded, and I would be tracked. As it is, he merely will not be able to recollect less than an hour of his life. His suffering is little to none, when it could have been catastrophic._**

Mewtwo paused a moment, wondering if this was the right thing to say for his argument. Maybe not, but it was the _truth. **I also could have done worse,**_he said lowly. **_Once I knew which human had the information, I could have taken the memories from him, without any conflict. _**He saw the boy tense up again. **_But I didn't,_**Mewtwo reminded. **_I made a deal with him, I battled him, I gave him what he wanted so that he would give us the information of his own free will._**

"Would you have taken the memories that way, if he had refused to talk at all?"

At that, Mewtwo was silent. Retrieving his cells was the greatest priority. No human was more important than that, not their safety nor their happiness. And yet, hadn't he already lost his cells in order to save the boy last night? Mewtwo knew that if he didn't get his cells back soon, though, _more_lives, of both people and Pokémon, would be in danger. He had already invaded the Joltik's minds to track them. He had already molded so many other psyches. What was one more?

Yet Mewtwo didn't _want_to invade anyone's mind. If he did…he would be just like Howard Clifford.

**_I will not apologize for erasing his memory,_**Mewtwo said firmly. **_But had he refused to part with the information, I am sure we could have found another way._**

The boy shook his head. "That's better, but not enough," he said miserably. The child's mind had slowed from its erratic thought process, and now trudged along like a laden Mudsdale. "Going forward, you're going to do this to other people. I see your reasons, but…I don't like thinking that."

How odd that the child had been following Mewtwo through this with the fidelity of a Lillipup, making himself useful so that Mewtwo would grudgingly let him come along, and now, _now _he was willing to leave. Yet Mewtwo found that he wanted the child to stay. The boy had been useful, and…supportive.

When it came to the matter of defending himself, Mewtwo was intransigent. But he could compromise, some, at least. **_In the future, I will tell you when I plan to change someone's memories._**

At this, the boy smiled, apparently satisfied. "Thank you."

Mewtwo gave a small nod in acknowledgement. He then hesitated a moment, before he said what he now had to. **_I suppose I should tell you, then, that I hypnotized those two scientists at the laboratory to not to call the authorities._**

"What?!" the boy barked. "I—I thought you had been tearing apart my car! When did you even do that?"

Mewtwo flicked his tail to his other side. **_I can multitask. _**He wasn't going to risk exposing himself and the boy for some ignorant human _scientists._

The boy pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment. "I suppose you could have taken their memories from the get-go, too." True—Mewtwo _could _have leveled that entire laboratory and seized any information he had wanted. But the boy had proposed another way, and Mewtwo had followed. The child sighed at the sky and mumbled, "Well, thanks for telling me now, at least."

Despite the boy's apparent beliefs, Mewtwo wasn't completely unscrupulous. Messing with minds was a dirty job, but one Mewtwo had resigned himself to doing long ago. He usually tampered only a little, yet he did what he had to do. But now, with the boy's insistence, Mewtwo was beginning to think that another path—a more equitable one—might actually be possible. Mewtwo was willing to give it a chance.

Mewtwo brought his mind back to the here and now. That unpleasant business aside, he returned to their goal. They had new information to use, thanks to that trainer. **_Do you have any ideas as to where the human with my cells could be selling them?_**

"Yeah, actually," the boy nodded. He lifted his fingers and began counting off. "We know that the buyer is someone big, as they're willing and able to pay a lot of money for R. And as they've taken about a week to get here, we can also assume that they're from far away. Another region, perhaps." Mewtwo was uncomfortably reminded that if his cells left the region, they may slip through his fingers for good. "I doubt anyone would want to take such a dangerous and newly-illegal chemical on the Ryme City trains, or just drive it out, even if the buyer was close enough. Plus, Ryme City has the only airport for miles. So I'm certain that, one way or another, those cells will pass through the airport. Security's fairly tight there, but with all the new trainers coming in, it'll be easy for the buyer to hide in the fray, with the cells."

Mewtwo blinked, following the reasoning and finding it fair. The buyer would want to get in and out of the city as quickly and seamlessly as possible, so it made sense that they would come and leave by plane. Even if there was security at the airport, most humans were unfamiliar with his cells and would not recognize their danger.

But still; **_You are suggesting we merely wait at the airport for the cells to come to us?_**

The boy shrugged. "Not exactly. We can narrow it down. I'm sure I can look through some police department files to see if they have records of incoming flights, or just any suspicious activities. That could help us figure out exactly what we're looking for."

**_Where would these files be? _**inquired Mewtwo.

"There's a database," the boy went on. "I just need to get home to my Dad's laptop to access it. Or, if he took it with him, head to the station."

Although Mewtwo had freely dwelled in the boy's apartment last night and this morning, he knew better than to push it. The father had said he would return in the evening; they had started late, and now that time was near.

Still, Mewtwo felt that their plan had too many holes, places where the thief could slip through. They had only vague information as to where and when this deal was taking place. The trainer's information hadn't been concrete. For all they knew, it could be happening _now._

**_Perhaps it would be best if we split up, _**Mewtwo suggested, that thought unsettling him more than he cared to admit. **_I will investigate around the airport, while you look into your files._**

The boy didn't look too sure. "What if you're seen?" Mewtwo narrowed his eyes and the boy backed down. "Right, you'll be careful." He cleared his throat. "So we'll meet up at the airport, then?"

**_Precisely._**He flicked his tail. Then he allowed a small smile. **_Be 'careful' as well, human._**

He took flight up the narrow walls of the alley while the boy shouted after him, "Oh, HA-HA, very funny."

OOO

Despite the boy's doubts that Mewtwo could covertly navigate the city during the day, an offending aggrievance, Mewtwo did take his advice and proceeded with extra caution. He moved slowly and stayed in more shadowed areas as much as possible. The city had limitless eyes everywhere; windows where anyone could look out and watch, security cameras that watched like bird-Pokémon of prey, and humans simply walking below. It was times like this Mewtwo wished he could use Teleport or Transform like his original. But his creators had worked with only an eyelash of Mew's DNA, and had apparently been unable to fit those abilities in.

Mewtwo already knew where the airport was—planes were landing in it all the time, obviously—but it still took him some time to get there. When he finally arrived, he was disgruntled to see how much security was there. It would be difficult to watch the place if _he_were in danger of being watched.

Still, Mewtwo did not sense his cells here. So he perched himself on the tallest tower, allowing himself the best possible view of the landing planes, and waited.

After an hour or two ticked by, Mewtwo began to feel frustrated. Normally he was quite patient, especially when alone and he could meditate, but now he was restless. Perhaps because he was surrounded by the nonstop activity of humans. Maybe because he wanted to know for sure his cells were here. Or maybe because he _knew_he could be doing more.

From his view from above, he was able to see the people and Pokémon wandering about the runways to tend to the planes and transport luggage. Following the Ryme City trend, almost everyone was a pair, a person and a Pokémon walking side by side as…equals.

Mewtwo narrowed his eyes at the Pokémon, never understanding how they could live like that. Yes, he knew people and Pokémon _cared_about one another, but it was a society in which they were kept in balls, commanded by masters, and treated like pets.

Yet, even if Mewtwo saw them as slaves…they were more free than him, at the moment. At least_they_didn't have to slink around like outlaws. They could walk around this airport freely—

Mewtwo's tail twitched and he straightened up at that thought. _They_could investigate this airport all they wanted. If anything strange had happened here, they would know. Mewtwo could easily retrieve it from their memories…if it weren't for his recent pact with the boy. The child's words came to his mind, about how it was _'invading their privacy'_and _'taking their freewill.' _Mewtwo had made a promise, and he would honor it. He would have to find a different way to learn about this place of human transportation.

On the far side of the airport, where all the planes were being loaded and unloaded, Mewtwo spotted a Noctowl assisting the workers. She flew back and forth between humans, carrying them baggage. Mewtwo watched her for a moment, before lifting his hand and summoning the Noctowl's current delivery to him. The small navy backpack flew out of Noctowl's talons and zipped across the air. The Noctowl turned in alarm to see what had happened, staring in confusion at her runaway bag. The bag was too tiny for its incongruous flight to be noticed by anyone else as it darted to him. But even if someone _was _paying attention, only sharp eyes, like a Noctowl's, would be able to differentiate. Mewtwo saw the precise moment realization entered the Noctowl's eyes when he clutched the bag in his grip.

Lowering his hand and staring down at the far Pokémon, he waited patiently for her to near. After some reluctance, she began to fly to him.

When she finally reached him, she did not land, but hovered in front of him. She was obviously nervous—her feathers were ruffled, and her talons were clenched. She looked ready to bolt at any moment, though Mewtwo knew he would be able to catch her instantly if he desired.

_"You're…Mewtwo,"_she said, clearly looking uncomfortable.

Wild Pokémon almost never knew who or what he was—city Pokémon all seemed to. Or at least they did after what Howard Clifford had done three weeks ago. But the city Pokémon behaved…differently. Though wild Pokémon tended to be hostile or alarmed when they encountered Mewtwo—some instinctual part of them _knowing_that Mewtwo wasn't natural, wasn't right, wasn't one of them—city Pokémon, or at least Pokémon in _this_city, were only cautious. This Noctowl was nervous, but willing to listen. _"What do you want from me?"_

**_I'm here for information, _**Mewtwo said, dropping the bag down. **_Have you seen anything strange in this airport of late?_**

_"It's an airport," _she said plainly. _"Strange how?"_

**_Suspicious,_**Mewtwo expanded. **_I am looking for the chemical known as R. _**

_"R?"_she repeated, ruffling the feathers around her neck. _"Hasn't that just been made illegal?"_

**_Yes,_**Mewtwo said, although in truth he paid no attention to human laws. **_Which is why I must find it. So has there been anyone who behaved oddly here in the last day or so?_**

The Noctowl clacked her beak nervously. _"There are thousands of people here every day, especially since you've shown up."_

Mewtwo narrowed his eyes in frustration. He hadn't expected much, but he had expected _something._This Noctowl was no help at all.

_"Why do you want to find this illegal material?" _the Noctowl asked suddenly.

Mewtwo narrowed his eyes, considering her. Pokémon could not speak to humans, so there was little point in hiding information from her. It would be an issue, however, if she decided that he was a threat, and rounded up other Pokémon in the airport to chase him out, as wild Pokémon sometimes did. So he might as well tell the truth, rather than let her reach her own conclusions. **_It is a highly dangerous material. It is what Howard Clifford used to cause such harm three weeks ago. I must find it and destroy it before any humans can wreak more havoc._**

To his surprise, before he could dismiss the Noctowl and send her away, she flapped over and landed next to him. _"If information on illegal activity can help you, then might I offer some advice?"_

Mewtwo tilted his head, wondering what this gentle-looking Pokémon would know about crime. **_You may._**He didn't have to take it, after all.

_"There's a Mr. Mime in this city," _she began to explain, still sounding apprehensive, but now a hint of determination was laced through her aura. _"He hears everything, and knows what happens in the shadows. I'm sure he could tell you something."_

Mewtwo mulled that over for a moment. **_Where can I find him?_**

_"He lives near the docks," _the Noctowl answered.

Mewtwo glanced in their direction, perfectly able to see the warehouses and water from his current perch. **_Very well. Thank you for your advice._**

He lifted a hand to levitate the bag back before her, and she reached out and grasped it with her talons. After a small nod of thanks, she swooped back down and returned to her job of delivering baggage.

Mewtwo turned to look back at the docks. In a less crowded area like that, he was sure he would be able to find the Mr. Mime fairly easily. The Noctowl was confident in the Pokemon's knowledge of crime. It could have valuable information on his cells. The theory that the cells would end up at this airport was an assumption at this point…and Mewtwo wanted confirmation. Locating this Pokémon would take him less than an hour, certainly.

So Mewtwo sprung off the tower and flew towards the docks.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen: Tim

_Should I be more worried for Mewtwo, or for Ryme City?_Tim wondered as he drove home. If Mewtwo was seen, there were thousands of trainers currently in the city waiting for an opportunity to encounter him. The trainers didn't understand that Mewtwo saw any encounter with humans as a threat, rather than opportunity of friendship. If Mewtwo got angry—which he often did—he could very easily hurt someone. Multiple someones, if he wanted.

_Mewtwo's my age,_Tim reasoned. _He can handle himself. And he knows better than to hurt anyone._

Still, he worried about it the whole way home. He barely paid attention as he pulled the car into the lot, parked it, and went up to his apartment. Maybe he should have told Mewtwo to wait until sundown. Maybe he should have insisted that Mewtwo come back to the apartment with him. Maybe—

"PIKACHU!"

Pikachu jumped into Tim's arms, but apparently got a little too excited, miscalculated, and landed more on Tim's neck. Tim coughed unpleasantly and wrapped his arm around Pikachu as the little Electric Mouse began to hang from his collar. He blinked in alarm as Pikachu smiled up at him.

"Pi-ka-chu," the Pokémon grinned.

But if Pikachu was here, then that meant—

"Heya, Tim." Tim looked up at his Dad, leaning against the wall as he watched Pikachu's greeting.

"You're home," was all Tim could think to say. He awkwardly readjusted Pikachu's detective hat, which had almost slipped off in Pikachu's happy leap. He swallowed, unsure how to explain himself. "I thought you said you wouldn't be back until dinner."

At this, his father frowned. "It's 6:30, Tim."

What? No, that couldn't be right. Tim couldn't have been out for more than a few hours. He glanced at the clock on the wall and sure enough, that was the time. "Oh."

His Dad quirked a smile. "Slept in late?"

Tim nodded mutely.

Harry pushed off the wall and walked up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Enjoy it while it lasts, Tim. When you become a full-fledged detective, you'll spend whole nights up…and you won't always get to sleep in in the morning."

His Dad then yawned tiredly and that's when Tim noticed the bags under his eyes. Tim ducked his head, ashamed. His Dad hadn't stayed up late last night because of a case, but because of _him._And he'd been working all day.

"I'll make dinner," Tim said, because it was the only thing he could think of to make up for it. Passing Pikachu off to his father, Tim squeezed past him and headed for the kitchen. He shuffled through the drawers for a moment, looking for something good that could be cooked up fast, before deciding on spaghetti, even though they had noodles last night.

Harry set the table and Tim avoided his gaze. When there was nothing to do but wait for the water and sauce to boil, Tim just stared at the pots blankly while his Dad sat at the table. Tim heard Harry's cup touch lightly down on the table every once and a while as his Dad took a drink.

Finally, and yet far too soon, he heard his Dad sigh. "Tim…" Tim adjusted the pots on the burner, pretending that he was occupied. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

_Yes._

"Not really."

Tim heard fingers tapping on the table. "So what did you do today?"

_I went back to the illegal Pokémon stadium with Mewtwo and found out about illegal R dealings._

"Not much," Tim said, opening the cupboards and getting the dry noodles out early. The water wasn't boiling yet. "How about you?" He asked, trying to redirect the topic onto his Dad.

There was a pause, and then a groan from Harry. Tim glanced back and saw his Dad had slumped into his seat miserably. Tim's mouth quirked in a small smile.

"_Trainers,"_his Dad emphasized, "are a cop's mortal enemy." He shook his head. "They're all good kids, really. They're friendly and sweet, but they just won't listen when it comes to their Pokémon. I had to explain why Ryme City has the no-battling rule at least two dozen times today, and they _still_wouldn't get it. You should have seen the way they looked at me. I might as well have told them not to breath. They would have understood me better if I had spoken _Pokémon._"

"Can't they accept that there's _one_place in this world where there's no battling?" Tim asked, turning around.

"Nope." His Dad stuck his chin straight in the air. "No way. Mythical Pokémon exist, sure, they'll believe that, but a place where battling's not allowed? _Unimaginable_."

Tim found his small smile growing into a big one. "So you've had to break up a bunch of Pokémon battles?"

"Plenty," Harry affirmed. He wrapped his arms around Pikachu and picked the little Pokémon up, snuggling him to his chest. "Poor Pikachu got caught by a Horn Drill when he was trying to break up a fight between an Excadrill and a Nidoqueen."

"Pikachu…" the Electric Mouse agreed morbidly, turning his tail for Tim to see a band-aid.

"Oh my," Tim said in a dry voice. "I'm sure he's _never_dealt with anything like that before."

"Yes." Harry nodded firmly in all seriousness. "That's why he deserves an extra Casteliacone tonight."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu said wholeheartedly, immediately perking up.

Tim turned back to the water and found that it was now boiling. He put the noodles in, pressed them down into the water, and then stirred the sauce. "Do they just break out in battles in the streets?"

"Oh, yeah, right in the roads and sidewalks." Harry massaged Pikachu between the ears. "In front of stores and in parks, they'll fight anywhere. Different terrain is just another challenge to them. And a lot of them don't care about who wins the battle, but do it more for fun. There was a Rapidash against a Seismitoad, a Dragonair against a Sylveon…a Leafeon against a Hypno."

Tim froze. Surely his Dad didn't mean…

But when Tim looked behind him, the looks his Dad and Pikachu were giving him said all. Tim swallowed, not sure what to say.

When it was clear Tim wouldn't be talking, Harry waved a hand. "Tim, I know I told you to look into the R case on your own, but the battle arena is not what I meant. You shouldn't go there alone, especially without a Pokémon partner."

It was especially ironic that his Dad thought that, because Tim _did_have one. Well, not quite. He wouldn't call Mewtwo his _partner_at this point…but then, what was he?

His Dad didn't know about Mewtwo, though, or he would be reacting a lot more dramatically. So Mewtwo wouldn't be angry. At least, not yet.

"Where else was I supposed to get information?" Tim asked uncertainly.

"Uh, the internet?" Harry crossed his arms. "There's more to being a detective than stampeding onto the field. You could have done research on our three scientists at the Grass-Type Labs, or maybe looked more into Dr. Laurent and see if she had any assistants."

Harry was behind, very behind. He didn't know Tim had already found out Dr. Drew was the dealer, and that he had escaped with the R. But Tim couldn't tell him, because that would be admitting he had snuck into the Lab.

"We know that the stadium had R," Tim defended.

"You shouldn't have gone there alone," Harry said again. "You should have at least let me know you were going. This is what I meant when I said I don't want you sneaking off—I didn't even want to take you _with me_to the stadium, and now you've gone alone, without backup?"

"How _did_you find out?"

"The police were following trainers today, Kid," Harry muttered. "The battle arena may be illegal, but at least it's keeping these tourist trainers off the streets. I may not have been at the stadium myself, but imagine my surprise when an undercover cop came back and told me he saw you there."

Tim tilted his head. "Then how did you know about the Leafeon and—"

"I asked for details."

It was amazing how similar Harry's and Pikachu's disappointed faces looked. "Tim, I know you've been looking into this case on your own, and I decided to let you. But if you're going to be reckless and do dangerous things—"

"Like you?" Tim said suddenly, surprising even himself.

Harry snapped his mouth shut and Pikachu's ears lowered in displeasure. But what Tim said was true. Hunting Mewtwo, investigating the most powerful enterprise in the city, sabotaging a secret laboratory full of dangerous experimental Pokémon…all of these stunts could turn deadly. Sometimes, they _had. _Yet Tim knew Harry had taken the cases without hesitation. And those were just the ones Tim _knew_about.

"That's different." Even Harry didn't look completely convinced though. "I'm an adult with experience and—"

"Were you like that when you first started out?" Tim knew he was taking a bit of a gamble here, but he was fairly certain Harry had been taking risky cases from the beginning. Grams hadn't talked about him much, but when she did, she implied a lot. Tim knew Harry had started early and fast, taking to the detective business like a Mantine to water.

Harry put his head in his hands and Tim wondered if he was going too far. Pikachu didn't look very happy with him. Tim stayed silent, on the edge of an apology, but he also felt like he had a point and his Dad was being a little unfair to him. Not because he had no reason to be mad—but also because Tim _hadn't_gone alone. Mewtwo had been there.

Harry moved his hands so that he was pinching the bridge of his nose. "All right," he said finally, sliding his hands down his face. "Tim, look. I know you're an adult, and I'm trying to treat you that way, but I'm also your father and I'm responsible for you. I don't want you to get hurt. I can't let that happen, not after…"

His Dad trailed off, allowing the words he couldn't say to exist in the silence.

_Not after your mother._

"So I'll make you a deal," Harry said abruptly, straightening up again. "I'll back off a little and let you go to the arena without me _if—"_he shot Tim a firm look "—you promise to let me know before you do _and—"_and here he _really_stared Tim down "—you get a Pokémon partner."

If Tim had been drinking something, he would have choked. As it was, he choked on air.

While Tim struggled with his lungs, Harry went on. "I know you've been against it for years, but I think it's time. You'll need one to be a detective, there's just too much the job requires that only a Pokémon can accomplish. Even in _life,_Pokémon are essential. Deny it all you want but it's just the way of the world. Even your reporter friend has one, although a Psyduck is not what I'd recommend for you—Tim, calm down, _breathe."_

"Yeah, yeah," Tim wheezed out, waving a hand. "I know." He forced air through his lungs and looked up. Both Harry and Pikachu now looked concerned. Tim tried to smile. "I'm listening. Go on." His Dad's rambles were giving him time to recover. But he was completely taken off guard that his Dad would suggest such a thing…especially considering Tim's dream, and his alliance with Mewtwo.

Harry sighed. "I hate to make you do something you don't want to do, but I really think it'll be good for you. I won't rush you. You take your time with a Pokémon partner." He raised an eyebrow. "I've noticed you eyeing them lately."

Tim shuffled uncomfortably. He had realized his Dad was giving him plenty of opportunity to hang out with Pokémon, but it had never been said aloud until now. "Got it, I'll start looking into it." He just wanted this discussion to be over. "It's a fair deal. Can we stop talking about this now?"

"Don't just shove it under the rug and hope it'll go away," His Dad warned, pointing a spoon at him. Then he let it fall back down. "But yeah, we can drop it. Noodles done yet?"

Tim turned around and found that they were overcooked. Cursing, so much for making a nice dinner, he turned off the burner and poured them into the drainer. The sauce was also burned—again, just like last night—but enough of it survived to be edible…barely. Tim arranged three plates for them, and then carried them out and set them before his Dad and Pikachu.

Both of them looked down at the limp noodles and still-bubbling sauce. Tim felt his cheeks warm and he looked down, feeling even more embarrassed when he heard his Dad chuckling.

"Well, Tim," his Dad snickered. "We're _both_hopeless cooks."

Tim stared at his Dad for a moment, and then they both burst out laughing.

OOO

Tim easily convinced his Dad to let him borrow his computer to comb through the police database. He browsed through flights, and while all the planes coming into Ryme City were completely booked (should be expected, with all the trainers tracking Mewtwo), there was nothing else strange.

Tim also managed to get his Dad into bed early, pointing out that he clearly hadn't gotten enough sleep. Harry grumbled about it, but Pikachu was tired too, and well, that clinched it.

Tim impatiently waited in his room for half an hour, before he gave up on waiting for an hour, took the keys, and left. His Dad was so exhausted he had to be asleep by now. Tim was limited on time as it was. And yet…he decided to make one quick stop.

The Clifford Enterprise security was little to none, and Tim walked into the building easily, and headed all the way up to the camera studio. It was a bit busier than last time, though, as they were preparing for the evening news. Tim shuffled through the busy bodies of people and Pokémon, ducking as Yanma carrying cameras zoomed back and forth overhead, until he finally spotted Lucy.

Lucy was seated in a director's chair, legs crossed and nose dug into a report. Her outfit was pristine, pressed to perfection as new reporters were, but she still spunkily expressed her go-getter attitude. Her blonde hair was pulled back in its usual ponytail, and a pen was behind her ear, always ready to be used. Besides her chair, Psyduck was reclining in a miniature seat of his own, a little mousey Dedenne massaging his webbed feet. On Lucy's other side, a Jynx was touching up her makeup.

"Lucy!" Tim called, jogging up to her. A few humans and Pokémon spared him a glance, but most of them at least knew him as Lucy's friend by now and were used to him appearing on the set. Both Lucy and Psyduck perked up at his call, and Lucy's smile when she saw him made Tim's stomach feel like it had been filled with Butterfree.

"Tim!" Lucy said, waving off the Jynx as she stood up to greet him. "You came to visit!"

"Yeah, you know, just thought I'd stop by," Tim said, suddenly feeling warm. Psyduck struggled out of his mini-chair, and Tim smiled at him. "Hey, Psy."

"Psyduck," the little Pokémon chirped.

"We're about to go on the air in less than ten minutes," Lucy said, her smile turning regretful and apologetic but no less beautiful. "I wish I could hang out with you for longer."

"Another time," Tim said with a casual-looking shrug that came out jerky and nervous, though he_was_pleased that she liked hanging out with him. "I've had a _lot_going on lately."

Lucy snorted. "You and me both."

That phrase made his smile get wider. But he was here for a reason, and he better get to it—as she said, they both had other places to be. "Listen, I'm working on a case, and I need some data."

Lucy's eyes sparkled with interest. "I'm listening," she said mischievously.

"I need to know anything odd about people coming into the city—most likely through the airport. Someone rich, and at least a little shady."

"Hmmm," Lucy put a finger to her mouth thoughtfully. "Well, I've been looking into the trainers coming to Ryme City a lot—you may have seen my article the other day—"

"_Mewtwo's Attraction?"_Tim interrupted. "Yeah, I did." He swallowed shyly, and a compliment slipped out of his lips without thought. "Nice title, by the way."

She beamed at him. "Thanks!" But then she got serious again. "Anyway, there's been lots of curious people. But something did catch my eye." She took out her Pokédex phone and pulled up something to show him. It was a list of flight schedules. "This is just something weird, not really a story—but I noticed that tonight and tomorrow, one of the landing platforms at the airport is going to be shut down."

Tim tensed; that was _exactly_the kind of thing he and Mewtwo were looking for. "Who shut it down?"

"Nobody specific," Lucy shrugged. "Especially nothing I could track easily. The airport's using a pretty standard procedure; it might just be that the platform is unstable, or they want to do some maintenance on it. But I thought, like, it's a weird time for that to happen, right?" She tilted her head and scrounged up her face. "When every single flight to Ryme City is fully booked by all those trainers?"

Tim leaned forward to get a better look at the times. There was a wide gap in the list where the times of one platform was unavailable—it wouldn't start up again until tomorrow evening. "It_is_odd. It might be exactly what I'm looking for."

Lucy bit her lip regretfully. "I wish I could join you. I'm off in two hours—you want to meet up and you can fill me in then?"

_That_wasn't a good idea. As much as Tim would love to go on another adventure with Lucy, Mewtwo would _not_approve.

"Can't," Tim shook his head. "I can't explain the case yet, Lucy, but I promise I will once it's over."

This only appeared to make Lucy _more_excited. "You better. This sounds juicy."

Tim found himself smiling like a Darmanitan again. He really shouldn't let her get involved at all, but… "You might want to keep an eye on the airport tomorrow. And maybe be ready for a story."

Lucy lit up, more beautiful than a prime-breed Milotic. She took him by surprise when she jumped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "Thanks, Tim!"

Tim's mind completely blanked on what to do. Should he hug back? Could she feel his rapid heartbeat in his chest?

"Miss Stevens? We need you on set," a young boy called.

As suddenly as a splash of a cold Water Gun, Lucy pulled back and turned away. "Coming!" she called, and then grinned at Tim over her shoulder. "Bye, Tim. Good luck!" And she ran off, Psyduck waddling after her.

Tim just stood there, staring after her. The Jynx gave him a knowing smile.

He shook his head to clear it; he had to get moving. Mewtwo was not patient, and Tim didn't want to keep the Pokémon waiting any more than necessary. Leaving Clifford Enterprises behind, he got into his car and got back on the road. He cursed city traffic the whole way to the airport, and then later he cursed city parking too.

When he finally got inside the airport, surrounded by crowds of people with suitcases, he went up to a modern art display—an abstract sculpture of an Eevee and its trainer, plus a few vague, wispy outlines of its many evolutions—and pretended to observe it. Hopefully Mewtwo would sense him soon and reach out, letting him know where to find him.

The bond Mewtwo had used between them was strange, and Tim wasn't sure how it worked. Mewtwo spoke through telepathy, which was obviously different from sound. Did his words work like sound, sent out in waves to everyone who was nearby? Or could he speak to one person alone, even if another was nearby? He had spoken to Tim from a distance at the stadium, without anybody else hearing. He had said it was because Tim's mind was 'recognizable.' So did Mewtwo have to _know_the person before he could do that? How far did the distance go?

After a few minutes of nothing happening, Tim moved on from the statue. Maybe Mewtwo was on the edge of the airport and he was out of range. The place was extremely crowded, with new-coming trainers and their Pokémon, plus all the people welcoming them to Ryme City and politely, patiently, explaining that no Pokéballs nor Pokémon battles were allowed here. No one paid any attention to him in the mass. Was the crowd preventing Mewtwo from sensing Tim?

Tim bounced between all the art; there were murals and statues and pieces hanging from the ceiling, and he used them as an excuse to explore the airport and see if Mewtwo reached out to him. There was a newly vacant spot where apparently a statue of Howard Clifford had been. Tim was glad they had removed that one.

Tim tried not to get worried, as he was sure Mewtwo would find him eventually. But if the inactive platform was because of the R buyer, then they had to watch it until the time was up. Tim needed to let Mewtwo know as soon as possible.

_Mewtwo,_Tim inwardly groaned at his seventeenth mural. _Can't you tell I'm here? What are you doing?_

**_I can hear you, human. _**Tim straightened within the crowd, and stopped himself from the natural urge to look around for the voice he was hearing. **_Apologies for the delay. I was…otherwise distracted._**

_With what?_Tim wondered.

It was hard to describe exactly what happened next, but Tim suddenly felt a wave of frustration and anger that wasn't his, like heat radiating off a nearby Slugma onto his skin. Was it Mewtwo's?

_What happened? _Tim asked.

The rage vanished, as if it had been sharply cut off. **_Your assistance would be welcome,_**Mewtwo answered simply. Tim wondered what _that_meant. Assistance with what? But he was distracted from asking when there was a bit of pressure on his mind, and his eyesight went fuzzy. The feeling vanished before Tim could fully examine it. **_Turn right and head towards the stairway._**

Tim shook his head to clear it, and then began to follow Mewtwo's instructions. _Did you just look through my eyes?_he asked, edging around a group of trainers from Unova.

**_A small glance; I did not see any memories, only what you were currently seeing. Go through the door under the stairway, then the third door on your right._**

_How do you know how to navigate this airport?_

**_I found a map. _**Tim's vision blurred again, and that pressure in his head returned. He paused mid-step, waiting for it to clear. It left as soon as it came. **_That one, and then you'll be outside._**

Tim pressed open the door Mewtwo described, and fresh air and bright sunlight poured through the other side. He blinked for a moment, his eyes adjusting to the light. There was a scream of the wind, as a plane took off at the edge of the runway, soaring into the sky. Other planes careful maneuvered around the concrete, their metal bodies reflecting the orange light of the now-setting sun. A few other people and Pokémon roamed around the parked planes closer to the building, directing and unloading them.

**_Walk along the wall to your left, and go through the first door. It's a storage room._**

_You've been hiding out there?_Tim asked, trying to look like he belonged as he followed Mewtwo's directions. _And what bad thing has happened that you need my help with?_

Mewtwo didn't answer, and Tim reached the door he had described. Inside, the room was packed with old crates and dying light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. Mewtwo loomed in the dim light…and he wasn't alone.

"Mr. Mime!?" Tim blurted.

The pink Pokémon put his hands on his hips and crossed his pointed feet over each other, bowing forward just slightly. Tim gaped. All thoughts of telling Mewtwo what he had learned from Lucy vanished from his mind.

"Why is Mr. Mime here?" Tim asked, stepping in and closing the door behind him.

Mewtwo's tail was lashing side to side, and his fists were clenched. **_I was told that this Pokémon is familiar with illegal activity in Ryme City. Thus, I retrieved him._**

While Mewtwo spoke, Tim watched Mr. Mime imitate Mewtwo's posture and movements, down to the growling scowl and wrathful eyes, angling its blue hair to resemble Mewtwo's horns. Mewtwo didn't even notice. The moment the bigger Pokémon was done speaking, Mr. Mime broke pose and twirled a finger next to his head; _'He's crazy.'_

"This is my Dad's informant," Tim told Mewtwo, still somewhat stunned to see the sassy Pokémon.

Mewtwo scoffed. **_Informant? He has told me nothing, not even telepathically. He is a psychic-type and his mental walls are strong enough to resist psychological pressure._**

Tim shot a look at Mewtwo, who had the decency to look somewhat regretful. His mouth twisted unhappily. **_Yes, I know, I made a promise. I intend to keep it. If I _could_infiltrate his mind, I would have waited for your return, at least._**

"We're not doing that," Tim said firmly. He didn't like Mr. Mime much—the Pokémon was rude and just plain unhelpful, but Tim wouldn't have found the illegal Pokémon stadium without it. Mewtwo had already kidnapped Mr. Mime, but mental invasions was a line they weren't going to cross. "Like you said, we'll find another way."

Mewtwo did not look happy about it, but he did not object. **_Very well._**

Tim relaxed; Mewtwo agreed without a fuss. That was a first. "So you haven't gotten anything at all out of him?" Tim asked, turning back to Mr. Mime, who was lying horizontally as if on a couch, only one toe touching the ground, and appeared to be reading a book. How he could read something completely invisible, Tim had no idea.

**_He has ignored all threats, arguments, and reasoning. He refuses to say a single word._**Now Mewtwo's anger made sense. Tim had to admit it was a little funny to see Mewtwo face something he couldn't triumph over.

"That's not how Mr. Mime works," Tim smiled, remembering how he and his Dad-then-Pikachu had gotten Mr. Mime to talk…mime. He turned back to the pink Pokémon. "You remember me?"

Mr. Mime glared at Tim for a moment, and then he got up and set the nonexistent book down with clear firmness. Tim furrowed his forehead, trying to figure out what Mr. Mime was doing as he lifted up something heavy with one hand, and pointed something else at Tim with the other. Tim had a heart-stopping moment where he wondered if it was a gun, but then a stream of gas blew out onto his face.

Tim staggered back, coughing, and trying to fan away the gas he couldn't see, but could _feel,_with his hand. He tripped and fell back. Mewtwo didn't help him stand back up of course, but the clone _was_kind of enough to defensively place himself between Tim and Mr. Mime to ensure Mr. Mime did nothing else.

**_Are you alright?_**Mewtwo asked, once Tim began to struggle up. Tim nodded and wiped his lips, spitting out the rotten taste. **_What was that about?_**

Tim scowled. "I think he just used a fire extinguisher on me."

Mr. Mime placed a finger on his chin innocently.

Mewtwo raised the ridge where his eyebrow might have been. **_Oddly specific._**

"Revenge, I suppose," Tim muttered. He knew it had been bad of him to cover Mr. Mime in fake-gasoline and then set him on fake-fire _after_the Pokémon had told them what they wanted to know, but that had been an _accident,_and it hadn't even been _real._Even if Tim deserved a little justice, it still felt dumb.

**_Explain,_**Mewtwo ordered, tilting his head.

"You don't get Mr. Mime to _talk—_you get inside his head."

**_…You mean that figuratively._**

"Yeah," Tim rubbed his mouth, but the mimed-gas had already faded. "Last time, I mimed things with him. That's how I got him to tell me what I wanted to know." Mr. Mime crossed his arms reproachfully to that.

The mechanics of Mr. Mime's power confused Tim, and very few people understood it in the first place. He remembered reading a magazine article that claimed this Pokémon could solidify air molecules by vibrating its fingertips. Then he saw a documentary that believed Mr. Mime's objects didn't really exist at all. He'd read at _another_source that if the opponent _knew_the object wasn't real, then they wouldn't be affected by it. But that gas had felt pretty real to Tim. In which case, he'd treat it as such. It seemed like Mr. Mime's powers were as vague as psychology itself.

"So," Tim said, putting his hands on his hips and trying to look tough. He was almost twice Mr. Mime's size, but the wiry manner of the Pokémon put him a little on edge. He tried not to show it. "Am I going to have to get out the gasoline again, or are you going to tell us what we want to know?"

Mr. Mime pursed his lips for a moment, and then he uncrossed arms. His face formed a wide smile, and then he held up five fingers. "Five words," Tim guessed, satisfied. Mr. Mime nodded, and then began to hop up and down.

"Jump," Tim guessed, and Mr. Mime nodded before holding one hand flatly parallel to the ground. With his other, he wagged two fingers on top of the first, moving them across it. "Walk," Tim guessed, but Mr. Mime shook his head. The two fingers got the edge and then Mr. Mime plunged his hand down to the ground. Mr. Mime suddenly waved both hands wildly as if in panic, mouth open in a silent scream, bending his knees further and further until he was on the ground, and then he played dead.

"…You're saying I can go jump off a cliff."

Mr. Mime leapt to his feet and nodded eagerly with a friendly smile.

**_That's helpful, _**Mewtwo said dryly. **_I would be happy to assist _you_in jumping off said cliff, pathetic pantomime._**

Before Mr. Mime could respond to that and anger Mewtwo, Tim hurriedly stepped in. "Gasoline it is!"

Although it felt silly, Tim curled one hand as if it were wrapped around a handle, and bent the other as if stabling the weight of a tank. He even bent one elbow as if it were heavy, but really he was carrying nothing. Tim wasn't sure how, but there was a splashing sound like heavy water. Maybe Mr. Mime's mental powers projected energy to other mimes by some subconscious function.

Mr. Mime jumped in alarm and immediately retook position as if he were holding the fire extinguisher. Tim himself leapt back, fearing he was about to get sprayed again. But Mr. Mime just crouched with his nonexistent extinguisher, standing ready.

Tim narrowed his eyes. "Oh, you're prepared this time, aren't you?"

**_I could set him on _actual_fire,_**Mewtwo suggested.

"That's not the point, Mewtwo," Tim said absently, trying to think of how to counter Mr. Mime's new defense.

**_What _is_the point, then?_**

"To win at_his_game," Tim muttered. Faced against real attacks, Mr. Mime just mimed defenses. But faced against his own attacks, Mr. Mime panicked.

Tim mimed picking up the gasoline tank again, and Mr. Mime backed up warily. Trying his best to mime it properly—he really should practice more—Tim swung the gasoline towards Mr. Mime, attempting to spray him.

Mr. Mime ducked to the side, dropping the extinguisher with a _clang_, and then darted forward with one arm pointed out. He jabbed at where the gas tank would have been, though his hand was a good foot away, and then jumped back.

Tim stared dumbly at where Mr. Mime had jabbed, not sure what had just happened. But he heard the_dunk dunk dunk_noise as if his gasoline was pouring out. He looked back up at Mr. Mime, who stood straight up like a soldier, one hand on his hip and the other held out like he was holding a glass of wine. No, that wasn't right…Mr. Mime waved the outstretched hand sharply, and there was the sound of metal swiping through air.

**_What is that supposed to mean?_**Mewtwo asked impatiently.

"It's a _sword,"_Tim realized. "Mr. Mime made a sword and stabbed my gas tank so it's leaking out." He dropped the gas tank and heard it _thump_to the floor.

**_So what do you plan to do now, human?_**Mewtwo said, crossing his arms.

In answer, Tim spread his feet and lifted his own hand. _"En garde!"_

He lunged at Mr. Mime with his imaginary sword, having to stop a foot away as Mr. Mime took a defensive position and their 'blades' clashed. Mr. Mime narrowed his eyes, and then broke off and lashed forward. Tim calculated where Mr. Mime's sword would be and then blocked it with where _his_sword would be. There was a _clang_in the air.

Tim had no experience with swordfights whatsoever, but he'd seen enough movies to imitate it. Every kid had playfully swung around a stick at some point; that was about all he knew.

Mr. Mime, however, seemed to know exactly what he was doing. With fast footwork, he practically danced forward, twirling his 'sword' around to strike at Tim. Tim struggled to keep up with the fast blows, gritting his teeth while Mr. Mime looked quite smug.

**_This is foolish,_**Mewtwo said from the side. **_What are you doing?_**

"Swordfight!" Tim shouted, tripping back as Mr. Mime started to attack his feet. "You can help anytime, Mewtwo!" he added frustratedly. He barely had any idea what he was doing, while Mr. Mime moved like a professional duelist. Had Tim not been focused on his fight with Mr. Mime, he would have thought enough that there was no way Mewtwo would ever mime anything. But all he knew at the moment was that he was in desperate need of assistance.

**_But there are no swords,_**Mewtwo objected. **_All you are doing is waving your hands around._**

At those words, Tim suddenly forgot where his sword was supposed to be. Mr. Mime jumped forward and jabbed him in the chest. Tim gasped and lifted his hand to the 'wound,' but there was no rip in his clothing, or blood coming out. It had just _felt_like a sharp poke, but it wasn't real.

Mr. Mime stepped back haughtily and lifted his sword with a proud smile. He was practically preening himself with delight.

"You're not helping, Mewtwo!" Tim shouted, fisting his hand again and advancing upon Mr. Mime. Mr. Mime met each of his blows with ease, and even dared to yawn with one hand while fighting Tim with the other.

**_This 'duel' is pathetic, _**Mewtwo commented from the sidelines. **_I can make _real_swords out of pure energy._**

That gave Tim a pause. "You _can?"_Right, Tim had seen him do so, briefly, during his battle. Then Tim hastily had to duck as Mr. Mime swung his sword at him. "Then do that!"

Finally understanding what Tim wanted of him, Mewtwo swept into the fray. Two glowing energy blades, one orange and one blue, appeared in each of his hands and he swung them down on Mr. Mime. Tim hurriedly back out of the way, nearly getting hit by Mewtwo's long, lashing tail. All Mr. Mime's superiority vanished in an instant and he looked truly afraid as Mewtwo's real blades met his invisible ones. Mewtwo paused a moment, looking suspicious as to why his energy-swords stopped midair as if he had hit something. Mr. Mime used the opportunity to duck under them, roll away, and bolt for the door.

Tim quickly jumped into Mr. Mime's path, blocking the exit. Mr. Mime swiped at him and Tim lifted his own 'sword' to block.

Mewtwo swung around and advanced on Mr. Mime again. Tim pushed Mr. Mime at Mewtwo, and after only a few short clashes between them, Mewtwo twirled his blades and Mr. Mime's hands swung open as if his sword had swept out of them. There was a clatter as the sword hit against the wall and fell to the floor.

Mewtwo pointed the blue blade at Mr. Mime's neck and the pink Pokémon fearfully put his hands up in surrender.

"Mewtwo's the winner!" Tim declared with a smile. Like there had ever been any doubt. "Now, tell us what you know, Mr. Mime." Tim, now filled with all the confidence Mr. Mime had lost, strolled up to Mewtwo's side. "Or we shall run you through!"

Mewtwo shot Tim a strange look as Mr. Mime put his hands together and nodded desperately, pleading. He then spread his arms out on either side of him in a T-formation, and began tilting them side to side. His face was scrounged up in focus and mock-seriousness. He kept his arms in a straight line, and his bends were careful and coordinated as if…

"Flying?" Tim guessed. "A plane?"

Mr. Mime nodded again and then pinched his right thumb and pointer together as if holding a small pencil. He then lifted it to his nose and sniffed, before pressing it away and giving violent, silent coughs.

"Gasoline?" Tim asked, a little confused on this one.

Mr. Mime shook his head before waving his hands wildly and giving a silent snarl. Tim thought that Mr. Mime was getting angry with him, and was about to scold him before Mewtwo took a guess.

**_The R chemical? _** Mewtwo asked, moving the energy swords a hair closer to Mr. Mime's neck. Mr. Mime froze, clearly terrified. But he nodded hurriedly. **_You are saying it is coming in on a flight? When?_**

At that, Mr. Mime merely pointed down at the ground.

"Now?!" Tim blurted in horror, but Mr. Mime immediately shook his head. "Today?" Tim broadened, and Mr. Mime waved a hand as if encouraging him on. "Tonight?" At this, Mr. Mime pointed to him; _bingo._

"That matches up with what Lucy told me," Tim pieced together.

**_What? _**Mewtwo barked, glancing at Tim while still holding the swords at Mr. Mime's neck.

Tim hurried to explain. "I know a reporter, Lucy, who I asked today about any odd flights. She told me a landing platform in this airport is going to be shut down tonight and tomorrow."

**_What time will the plane be arriving? _**Mewtwo demanded again. Tim shrugged helplessly, and Mewtwo turned back to Mr. Mime. **_Tell us the time._**

"Hold up a number!" Tim insisted.

But at their pressuring, Mr. Mime just held out his gloved hands helplessly. He didn't know. Mewtwo growled in frustrated and Mr. Mime cowered before him.

**_Then answer me this; who is buying my cells?_**

Mr. Mime hesitated, but then he slipped away from Mewtwo's swords for more space. He began to pace around the room, crouched down, hands out before him warily. His face was scrounged up and his bottom lip was puckered out.

"That could be any lowlife," Tim argued.

At this, Mr. Mime broke out of his character to glare at Tim. But then he sat back on an imaginary chair and tented his broad fingers together, adapting a wicked one-sided smirk on his lips. Before Tim could point out that this was, again, extremely vague, Mr. Mime reached down above his lap and began waving his hand as if caressing something.

Mewtwo's swords abruptly disappeared and he went still. Tim glanced back at him, but all he saw on Mewtwo's face was anger. It flowed into the air like a Torkoal's smoke. "Do you know who that is?"

Mewtwo's tail lashed side to side. He didn't answer for a moment. Maybe Mewtwo was being sloppy, or maybe Tim was getting better at reading him, because Tim saw several emotions storm in Mewtwo's eyes. Anger, surprise, wariness…fear?

**_No,_**he finally growled, practically spitting out the word.

Tim thought he was lying, but some deep-buried survival instinct told him to leave it be. So he asked instead, "Do we really need to _know_who the buyer is? We'll encounter them soon enough. Unless you want to be able to recognize them when they arrive?"

**_I will be able to sense my cells when they enter the airport, when they are close, _**Mewtwo growled, his eyes not leaving Mr. Mime. **_So, no. I suppose is does not matter who is after my cells…so long as they do not get them._**

Mr. Mime got a hopeful look on his face, which Mewtwo noticed. **_You may go. _**But then, suddenly Mewtwo paced forward towards Mr. Mime, and Mr. Mime got so frightened he lost focus on his mimed-chair and fell back on the ground. Mewtwo did not stop until he towered over the pink Pokémon, suddenly looking twice his already imposing size.

**_Do not tell anyone about me or what I am after, _**Mewtwo hissed at the now-shivering Pokémon.**_Or I will hunt you down and make you regret it. Now go._**

Mr. Mime didn't need telling twice. He was out of there, leaving only the slammed door in his wake.

Tim crossed his arms and frowned. "Was that really necessary? You've never been concerned about wild Pokémon seeing you before."

**_The other Pokémon I encountered were not connected to every bit of crime in this city, _**Mewtwo shot back, sounding angrier than he should.

Tim 'hmmmed' thoughtfully. His jellies, as his Dad would so elegantly call it, told him that was a complete lie. Something about what Mr. Mime said—mimed—had disturbed Mewtwo. And Tim's new friend had taken out his rage on the impish Pokémon.

But Tim didn't want to be the next target for Mewtwo's wrath, and right now, he was the only other person in the room. So he changed the subject, hoping that a distraction would settle Mewtwo's anger. "If Mr. Mime was right, then we should find your cells tonight, Mewtwo." He glanced around the storage room, its musty and unorganized crates scattered about the room. "Looks like it'll be a stakeout."

**[I hinted at Mr. Mime, but you probably didn't expect Lucy as well! I felt bad that I couldn't really fit her into this story. The focus is Mewtwo and Tim, and a bit of Harry, too. There just wasn't any room for her, even though I like her character. 'Til next time!]**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen: Mewtwo

That figure. That stance. That attitude. So recognizable that even with a scrawny, thin Pokémon imitating it, the strong movement only belonged to one person. The Barrier Pokémon had even gotten down the one-sided smirk, the lowered eyes in permanent glare, the professionalism and power that _he_somehow radiated... The way he contradicted himself by constantly stroking that blasted Persian, presenting an image of gentleness and fondness that clearly _did not fit._Debonair and despotic at the same time. The power-hungry human would jump at any chance for strength, any prospect of power, any lucrative opportunity.

It was impossible that Giovanni remember the past. Mewtwo had wiped the human's memory—and the memory of every Team Rocket member. They didn't know he existed anymore. There was no way Giovanni could be hunting Mewtwo like before, using him like before.

Unless…

If Giovanni had seen Mewtwo again, on one of the human cameras, would it have been enough to give him…flashbacks? A clue to give him echoes of the memories Mewtwo had taken?

No, it could not be. Mewtwo had been thorough in cleansing their minds, in order to defend both himself and his clones, and to leave Giovanni behind him. But the threat that he may never be able to escape his wretched creator, the human he had trusted and been betrayed by, created emotions of anger and fear throughout his body and mind that he couldn't control. They would lash out unless he came to grips with them.

So he would ignore what the Mr. Mime had shown him, for now. He would find out the truth when he finally confronted the humans who dared to 'buy' his cells.

**_Follow me,_**Mewtwo said, moving towards the door.

The boy jumped in his way and Mewtwo stopped, puzzled at the child's behavior. "Wait," the boy said. "It's completely open out there. Anyone could see you. Isn't there another way in and out of this room?"

**_There is, _**Mewtwo nodded, **_yet it is night outside. I shall remain in the shadows and not be seen. The place where we will watch for my cells, however, is this way. _**The boy didn't look convinced. Mewtwo frowned. **_What has you so concerned?_**

"I'm just worried for you," the boy admitted. "There are a lot of trainers here, if you get spotted."

Mewtwo wasn't sure how to respond to the child's solicitude. He hesitated, then decided to merely cast off the small human's unmerited concerns. **_I believe I have proven myself to be fairly adept at remaining unseen._**

Just then, the door Mewtwo was trying to go through opened, taking both him and the child by surprise. An older human in an orange-and-yellow vest walked through, eyes on a clipboard he was holding rather than watching them. He took only three steps in before he realized they were there and froze, his widened eyes swinging between Mewtwo and the boy.

The clipboard clattered to the floor.

A long moment passed, in which the three of them simply stared at each other, completely nonplussed.

The new human recovered first. He cried out in alarm and leapt back from Mewtwo. But Mewtwo, regaining himself at the shout, shot out his hand and psychically slammed the exit shut from across the room, cutting off the escape. The human leapt back from the loud door as if it too were a freak cloned Pokémon.

Mewtwo grimaced and grasped the human with his powers, holding him still, though he shook within Mewtwo's untouching grip. Mewtwo's own mind began to coil around the human's, piercing through the panic and reaching for the memoires…

But then he hesitated, glancing at the boy.

_This is preposterous,_Mewtwo thought to himself. _Just do it. It needs to be done, whether the boy likes it or not._

_But you did make a promise._

Gnashing his teeth together, Mewtwo swallowed his pride and addressed the child with utmost formality. **_I am going to erase his memories. Are you at peace with that, human?_**

The child, who had been staring at the other human in shock, jumped. Mewtwo held onto his thinning patience best he could. He had made a promise, and he intended to keep it. Hopefully the boy would see that sometimes such mind control was _necessary,_at least in Mewtwo's life. He couldn't allow everyone who saw him to remember it. When he had let Team Rocket keep their memories, they had come for him. And the boy's father…

The boy, after shaking his head puzzledly, met Mewtwo's eyes. For a moment, Mewtwo _knew _the child was going to say no—he could feel it in his mind. But then the impulsive reaction was thankfully replaced with ratiocination. The boy looked back at the petrified human before his gaze dropped to the floor. "Yeah, I guess so."

Needing no more than that, Mewtwo plucked the minute memory from the human's mind like a weedy Paras from a garden. A blank look covered the human's face. **_You do not see us, _**Mewtwo commanded, his voice filling into the blank space in the human's mind. **_You never saw us. Continue as you were before._**

With a dreamy green-eyed look, the human wandered over to his fallen clipboard and picked it up. After checking the list, he briefly walked around the room before he found a box, picked it up, and then carried it out with him. Neither Mewtwo nor the boy said a word as they watched him, just in case the command didn't follow through.

After the door clicked shut, Mewtwo spoke first. **_That proved nothing._**

"Didn't it?"

Mewtwo lashed his tail. **_That was merely a coincidence, and I handled it. I am still perfectly capable of remaining hidden._**

"Mewtwo," the human said insistently. "I'm not trying to offend you. I just want you to be safe."

Mewtwo went quiet. He couldn't blame the boy for his trepidation, as it did come from genuine care. When someone was saying that he _couldn't_do something, it was easy for Mewtwo to rise to the challenge and prove himself. He didn't like chains, didn't like limits. But this human didn't think any less of him for being a bit…conspicuous.

But still. He wasn't staying here. **_I cannot look for my cells cooped up here, _**Mewtwo said matter-of-factly. Perhaps there was a compromise. He looked side to side at the boxes, and spotted an old brown blanket in one. He called it to his hand and it swung through the air into his grip, and then Mewtwo draped it around his shoulders like a cloak. **_This will help. If anyone sees me from a distance, they will not be able to see enough details to recognize me._**

When exploring another city a few years ago, Mewtwo had once used an actual cloak to hide his appearance as well. Anyone who saw him mistook him for a human or humanoid Pokémon. Though Mewtwo liked how the clothing helped hide him, it also got in his way and eventually was torn and ruined when he returned to the wild. But he was experienced enough to use this blanket as one.

The child did not look reassured, but he backed away from Mewtwo's path without further objection. Mewtwo swept by him, out the door. The radiant sunlight across the runways had vanished, replaced by artificial human lights that allowed shadows to creep in. The concrete was painted in ombres of different illumination. Giant planes, with light-tipped wings, loomed their way into the dark sky nonetheless.

Slipping through the shadows, Mewtwo made a path through the darker areas, the human trailing less elegantly behind him. Finally, Mewtwo found a satisfactory spot. **_Up there._**

The boy caught up with him and turned his head up to where Mewtwo was looking, a corner on the roof. "Up _there?_I don't see a stairway. How am I—"

Rather than answer, Mewtwo lifted the child off the ground with his telekinetic powers. The boy gave a cry of alarm at the sudden disappearance of the ground and of gravity, flailing panic, but Mewtwo kept the human's body at his side as he flew up the building. They landed together on the rooftop, and though Mewtwo set the child down on his feet, the boy immediately fell to his hands and knees to grip the gravel as if afraid it would be taken from him again.

Mewtwo allowed a small smile. **_Careful with how you cried out like that,_**he teased.**_You might have attracted attention._**

"Why didn't you _warn_me before you did that?" The boy snapped back, clearly not as amused as Mewtwo was.

**_By now you should know how insouciant I can be, _**Mewtwo said back lightly.

The boy glared at him angrily, but they were interrupted by the roar of a plane engine as it took off. Fury forgotten, the child turned around to watch the plane, a large, heavy metal contraption, soar out into the open air with the strength of a hundred Staraptors and fly off into the night. The sight of something so heavy managing to fly reminded Mewtwo of a giant Tropius, strange but powerful in the air.

Mewtwo had chosen the spot well; they had an unobstructed view of all planes in the airport. They could see the hurrying people and Pokémon trying to load and unload the planes, guiding them to dock, and fill them with fuel. They also, in particular, had a clear line of sight of where passengers disembarked. As they watched, several humans filed out of a plane, many were clearly young trainers.

"Wow," the boy breathed slowly. He shuffled around so he could face the view. "…You can see a lot more from up here."

Mewtwo glanced at him, and then the city beyond. When he was flying, the city didn't look all that impressive to him. Mewtwo flew at such speeds that he could pass through it easily and never gave the details of its structure much thought. His psychic powers could construct castles if he so desired, so human feats gained no attention from him. Yet he had to admit the fine details and grand scale of architecture required quite a lot of his thought and focus, especially for one as fastidious as him. Yet when he was here on the ground, with the boy, he had to admit it was hard to imagine powerless human beings creating edifices of that magnitude. Skyscrapers, as the humans called them, were like artificial perches that allowed them to stand at the same level of the flying-types that usually ruled the air.

**_Is that not one of the points of you humans constructing such tall buildings? _**Mewtwo asked, taking a step near the edge to watch the trainers make their way inside. He saw none that looked suspicious.

The boy shrugged one shoulder carelessly. "I guess. I'm still not used to it, really. I've only been here for a little over three weeks."

Mewtwo glanced at him curiously. The boy had told him he was new to the city several times now, but Mewtwo was now curious how different the city was to his previous lifestyle.**_You said you were in a small town before. What was it like?_**

"It was pretty far from here." The boy waved one hand vaguely to his left. "No skyscrapers at all. You can't even see Ryme City from there. I rarely left it." A closed-off look came over the boy's face as he watched the trainers laugh and talk amongst themselves, still exiting the plane. In the energy between them, Mewtwo detected a sense of wistfulness and remorse. "I bet they've been all over the place."

Mewtwo scoffed. **_Finding a location where trainers _don't_go is impossible. I count myself lucky when I find a place they _rarely_go._**

The boy got a thoughtful, almost puzzled look at that statement. "I never thought of it that way."

Mewtwo didn't blame the boy for his ignorance; humans seemed to think that they were entitled to be able to go wherever they wanted. He _was_, however, grateful at how easily the boy had realized and accepted how invasive humans could be once Mewtwo had pointed it out.

Another plane loomed before them, its wings scintillating with multicolored lights. Soon its metallic silhouette vanished into the darkness, its dimming bulbs growing further as well. The breeze it kicked up billowed Mewtwo's cloak around himself.

"Trainers are just…thirsty for adventure, I suppose," the child went on. "For friends, for exploration, for knowledge... I bet they know a lot more about Pokémon than me."

In those last few words, the boy sounded a bit resentful and jealous. No doubt he was contemplating his choice not to go on such a journey. Mewtwo found himself in the odd position to provide reassurance, something he was not at all experienced at. He did, truly, admire the boy for his desire to be independent unlike almost every other human on this planet. The boy _shouldn't_be jealous of the other humans below. _This_was the one who had gained Mewtwo's trust. _This_was the one who had impressed him, out of all of the others.

**_You knew how to handle the Mr. Mime,_**Mewtwo said tonelessly, for that was the best he could do. **_I still do not understand what exactly you did to make it get so defensive. Every threat I gave it, the Pokémon merely mimed a way to protect itself, not even appearing afraid._**

His encouragement worked, to Mewtwo's own surprise. The boy grinned. "It's really not that complicated, Mewtwo."

Mewtwo considered being insulted over that jab at his intelligence, but in the end decided it was pointless. There were plenty of things in this world he did not understand. An example was sitting right next to him.

The boy continued on. "Mr. Mime uses its pretend-defenses in order to protect itself. But I think it sometimes gets too wrapped up in its own little world. If you mime as well, he'll get caught off guard and panic."

Mewtwo tried to mull that over. The odd thing was, it was vaguely familiar to his own psychic powers. It was easy to get engulfed in the psychic energy that soaked into the mind. Its power was potentially limitless; Mewtwo was a living example of that. His own psychic strength was unparalleled. What Mr. Mime lacked in raw power, he made up for in precision, at a level that Mewtwo had never bothered—nor would probably ever bother—to try.

A brief silence fell over them, eventually broken by the boy. "So are we just staying here, watching and waiting for your cells to arrive?"

Mewtwo turned to the boy. **_Do you have somewhere else to be?_**

The boy shook his head. "My Dad's asleep, and probably won't wake up until spring. I was just curious about your plan."

Mewtwo turned back to watch the runways, his eyes patrolling over each human who came and left. **_We find the human who has my cells. We take them back; whatever means necessary._**

Mewtwo sensed a bit of nervousness suddenly spike in the boy's mind. A moment later, he heard it in the child's voice. "Will you…hurt anyone?"

Mewtwo would never be able to comprehend how the humans relished in Pokémon battles and dreaded any other kind of fight. He vaguely remembered the handful of humans on New Island being filled with grief at the sight of the battle between his clones and their originals. He hadn't paid them much attention, distracted by his own battle with Mew, not that he would have cared at the time.

The Pokémon battles were certainly safer and voluntary (and part of a deep level of natural Pokémon instinct, too), but the human specie's drastic change in attitude from excitement to terror was apparently esoteric, at least to Mewtwo. Perhaps it had something to do with how he had been _made_for unrestrained fighting, to battle to the death rather than lightly wrestle for friendly competition. He had been born and bred for aggressive behavior, often felt compulsive delight when he took out his rage on his opponents. In all the shifts in his worldview, that innate part of him had never changed.

He turned his wandering mind back to the boy's question. **_I will avoid it if I can._**

The boy's unease, which had been pressing onto Mewtwo like an annoying Joltik sucking energy from an outlet, relaxed marginally. "But how will you do that without being seen?"

That was a fair point; it was very likely that in order to reclaim his cells, Mewtwo would have to step into the open, in view of everyone, exposing himself. He could erase memories, but in such a crowded place and an entire city to escape into only a short distance away, humans could easily slip through his fingers before he caught them. And there was little he could do if they recorded images of him.

**_If I must be seen by others in order to retrieve my cells, then so be it, _**Mewtwo said gravely. He didn't like it, but he couldn't let it hold him back. **_This city has already witnessed my presence several times. Yet even if that were not the case, I would still be willing to show myself if necessary, to retrieve my cells._**

"…You're very determined," the boy said suddenly, snapping Mewtwo out of his contemplations.

Mewtwo gave the boy a doubting look. **_Have you not noticed my pertinacity before?_**

He shook his head. "I mean, there's a lot you're willing to do in order to get them back. Is there anything you _wouldn't_do?"

The question took Mewtwo a little off guard, and he had to think on it. He wouldn't allow himself to be captured, certainly. The devastation of the laboratories flashed before his eyes and he held back a shiver. He would try to avoid _that,_as much as he could.

The boy took his silence as a no. "You know, I don't think you're as indifferent towards others as you pretend to be."

Mewtwo's head swung up. **_And what is that supposed to mean, human? _**he inquired, a note of warning in his tone.

The boy ignored it. "You act like you don't care about people or Pokémon or the danger they're in, but the whole reason you're after your cells so relentlessly is because you_know_how dangerous it would be if another one of you was made. You're protecting others, in a roundabout way."

Mewtwo needed a short moment to follow that logic, but he responded curtly. **_Another Mew clone would be equal to my strength. It would be as much a threat to me as everyone else._**

The boy leaned back. "Yeah. Sure."

Mewtwo straightened up. **_Do not take that impertinent tone with me, human._**

"My name's Tim," the boy corrected simply, and Mewtwo huffed.

**_You humans are invariably incapable of showing proper respect._**

"You're one to talk, you can't even call me by my name."

Mewtwo glared forward silently. The boy had been pestering him about his name for quite some time now, and each time Mewtwo had ignored him or redirected his attention. If he called a human by their name, unless there was a title along with it that kept things impersonal, it meant he cared about them enough to be associated with them. To see _who _they were rather than _what _they were, as his creators had failed to do for him. But he repudiated all of mankind, and there were few exceptions. Giovanni had created him and guided him, and there was no escaping how tangled their pasts were. Ash had changed his life in a way that Mewtwo would always treasure, and in truth he believed that one day their paths would cross again. Howard Clifford was a human Mewtwo loathed almost as much as Giovanni, having brought Mewtwo's worst nightmares to life in a way Mewtwo couldn't possibly have imagined. But this child beside him? Once Mewtwo had his cells, he planned to leave Ryme City and not come back, and he would probably never see the boy again.

Or would he?

Mewtwo's life, before his abduction by the child's father, consisted of sequestering himself in deep forests far from civilization, and occasionally slipping into a city or other to inspect the events of the rest of the world. He had told the boy he needed to do something great with all the power and intellect he had at his disposal. But the boy had claimed Mewtwo could do as he wanted.

What did he want?

To be free. To be respected as a living, intelligent creature. To direct his powers and skills towards a worthy cause, to feel that he was doing _something_good in this world. Something that gave him a reason for being. To learn and understand exactly what the ubiquitous yet elusive bond between humans and Pokémon truly was. To deny that slavery he had originally been created for, and to grow into something else. To…change.

What path gave him those things?

Mewtwo noticed the boy yawn. **_You should rest, _**he said softly. **_I will wake you at any sign of my cells._**

"Thanks, but I really don't think I could sleep here," the boy said, rubbing his foot on the rough gravel and gesturing to the loud planes, which took off and landed every few minutes.

**_Then allow me to provide assistance. _**And without another word, Mewtwo pressed into the boy's mind and enveloped it with sleep. The boy dropped to the ground, at once unconscious.

Mewtwo stared at the slumbering human for a moment, before he reached forward and rearranged the hood of the boy's jacket to better cushion his head from the rocks. But then he saw the gravel digging into the child's hands and through his clothing. After another brief pause, Mewtwo unwrapped the blanket-cloak from around himself and psychically wove it around the human, tucking it around him snugly. Up here, he would not need the cloak to hide himself; the boy needed it more.

_Putting the needs of a human before your own? _a dark voice in Mewtwo's mind whispered nastily. _What, are you growing fond of him?_

But rather than getting resentful at the idea as Mewtwo normally would, he considered it. Yes, actually, he was genuinely fond of the boy. This one wasn't like other humans. He had been _helpful_to Mewtwo…Mewtwo wouldn't have found his cells without him. He never would have sensed their energy all the way out to the lab, so far outside the city, and as he tended to avoid mass areas of human transportation such as this, he would not have been near the airport. Yes, it was true he had yet to actually find his cells…but without the boy, he never would have gotten close.

Normally Mewtwo scorned engaging with others, humans and Pokémon alike, but in the boy's company, he found he didn't mind him at all. Was it the way the boy treated him as an equal? The way the child brought new ideas and arguments to light that Mewtwo hadn't considered? Simply because the boy was congenial? Or merely because Mewtwo found, for the first time in his life, enjoying the company of another?

Settling himself on the ground, Mewtwo stood guard. Watching for his cells…and watching over the boy.

OOO

The dawn came, and its rays fell directly on the boy's unguarded eyes. Mewtwo was watching the airport still, its inhabitants sleepy and barely paying attention to what they were doing as they lackadaisically ambled into the city. He heard the human's groan, and the shuffle on the gravel as he got up.

"Did I…fall asleep?"

Mewtwo flicked his tail carelessly. **_I assume so, unless you were simply lying down with your eyes closed for the last few hours._**

The boy was too muddled with sleep to be annoyed at Mewtwo's jibe. "The last thing I remember is saying I wouldn't be able to fall asleep here." He pushed himself up, rubbing his legs which had dug into the gravel. "Huh."

Mewtwo was silent at that, and decided right then that he wouldn't tell the child he had psychically pushed him into sleep. The boy would not be pleased with it, but Mewtwo knew it was for his own good. Humans needed more sleep than he did.

The boy didn't seem to notice Mewtwo's slight unease. "Did I miss anything?"

Mewtwo relaxed, happy to change to a subject in which he could be honest. **_No, _**he said. **_I sensed nothing of my cells, nor the doctor who took them, nor anything else strange._**

The boy froze in the midst of stretching. "Do you think Mr. Mime lied to us?"

Mewtwo paused and considered. Normally he would immediately doubt such a lowlife Pokémon, but he remembered Mr. Mime's impression of Giovanni… That was dangerous and valuable information, not something to be merely tossed out. No, Mr. Mime hadn't been lying. **_I do not believe so,_**Mewtwo answered slowly.

"Yeah, he seemed pretty scared of you," the boy agreed. "His information was right before, when my Dad and I interrogated him. But he said last night, and now it's morning…"

**_Did you not say you had another source about an inactive platform? _**Mewtwo inquired.

"I don't doubt Lucy, but she had nothing that connected the platform to any kind of illegal activity or shady dealings," the boy sighed.

Mewtwo was familiar with the boy's father, but he knew nothing of this girl he spoke of. **_How do you know this human female?_**

The sudden twist of emotion in the boy's psyche was completely unexpected. Vagaries of feelings seeped into the air—embarrassment, shock, a trace of fear, and—

Ah. So _that_was the nature of their relationship.

"I, uh, met her a few weeks ago," the boy stuttered. "She helped me. Helped me find out what happened to my Dad, that is. Before we, you know, knew that he was actually Pikachu. She's my—" His mind whirled like a Pidgeot's Hurricane "—friend. Good friend. Yep."

Human coquetries were something Mewtwo never bothered to pay attention to even when he was tolerating them. He had no intention of starting now. **_I see,_**he said coldly. The boy winced. Mewtwo moved on. **_What information did she give you exactly?_**

"She said it was shut down for last night and most of today. Mr. Mime said last night. So, since those two times overlapped, I thought for sure it would be here by now."

Mewtwo waved a hand at the runways before them. **_Are your metal planes always precise with their scheduling?_**

The boy barked a sudden laugh and almost doubled over, clutching his stomach. Mewtwo glanced at the humans and Pokémon walking below, but they could not hear the boy's laughter over the sound of the roaring engines. He looked back at the boy curiously, whose eyes were now watering with glee.

"No, they aren't, Mewtwo," the boy pushed out once his laughter had died down somewhat. "No, they aren't."

Odd, the Noctowl hadn't had a very high opinion of airports, either.

Mewtwo crossed his feet and sat back a little, preparing to wait, then. **_Why are they not?_**

The boy waved a hand vaguely towards the planes. "They're temperamental machines. Airports are infamous for their chaotic schedules. We have to be careful with the planes, because if anything goes wrong with them, they could crash and cause lots of damage. And, obviously, they need proper weather to fly, too. A thunderstorm or blizzard is too risky for them to travel in."

**_They are at the whim of the weather? _**Mewtwo asked, astonished. Earth's climate was always changing. Both naturally, and by the wills of mercurial Pokémon like Kyogre and Groudon. Yet there were hundreds of thousands of human aircrafts that webbed around the world. To base so much on something so unstable was inane.

"Well, often planes have Pokémon inside that can affect the weather if something goes wrong, but even they can only do so much."

_Weak Pokémon, maybe, _Mewtwo thought silently. He had caused world-wide apocalyptic storms with a wave of his hand. He was a legendary, his power trumped most others. For the first time, he wondered how his own storm had affected such transportation.

**_A design obviously created by foolish humans, _**Mewtwo muttered.

The boy tilted his head at Mewtwo. "You call us foolish a lot." Then a hint of a smile quirked at his lips. "What's the most stupid thing you've ever seen a human do?"

_Run directly into the crossfire beams of two of the most powerful Pokémon in the world._But that might lead to questions Mewtwo did not want to answer at the moment. Besides, there was something else, something more recent. He had yet to tell anyone this and he was slightly curious if the boy could offer an explanation.

**_There was once a human who tried to capture me with a standard Pokéball,_**he admitted. It had happened just a few years ago. Mewtwo had been hiding in the wild when a trainer had stumbled upon him. Before Mewtwo could wipe his memory, the young human had pitched a Pokéball at him. It hadn't even landed on Mewtwo—he had deflected it psychically long before it could touch him—yet still, Mewtwo could not imagine anything more futile.

"Tried to catch _you_with a regular Pokéball?" the boy cried, alarmed. He straightened up to stare at Mewtwo, as if unsure Mewtwo was serious. He was aghast. "That _is _stupid! How cheap!"

**_His medical bills weren't cheap,_**Mewtwo muttered softly.

_"What?!"_

But Mewtwo was saved from having to explain when a particularly large and loud plane loomed up into the air. In honesty, though, Mewtwo hadn't laid a hand on that boy from years ago…yet he had defeated his entire party with ease, and, of course, erased his memory. It certainly had taken those Pokémon some time before they recovered. And had likely been a tough job for whatever nurse or doctor had to tend to them.

Not wanting to have to explain that, Mewtwo tried to distract him before the boy could inquire more. **_You scoff at that human's imprudence, but what of you? Don't tell me you've never done anything careless. _**The boy was different, but not _that_different.

At this, the boy looked sheepish. "Well…" He glanced off, and Mewtwo waited, his curiosity piqued. "A few weeks ago, when my Dad was still Pikachu, he ended up facing a Charizard at one of the battle arenas."

**_He did _what?!**Mewtwo demanded, straightening up in alarm. **_But his human consciousness would have no idea how to use the moves and abilities of the Pokémon! _**That kind of battle would be _worse_than a human against a Pokémon—because the detective would be in the tiny body of the Pikachu. And Charizards' rage and temperament could prove a challenge. Mewtwo knew, because he had lived with one.

The boy grimaced. "We didn't know that at the time."

**_How did he survive? _**Mewtwo wondered aloud. It was horrifying to learn that his attempt to save the detective had almost all been for nothing. He had put the human into the Pokémon so that he could live, but apparently he had been put in danger anyway.

"This is the _really_dumb part." The boy shuffled his feet. "Right before the Charizard could strike him, I ran into the arena and stomped on its tail."

Mewtwo stared at the boy with the amount of horror one might feel when encountering a delicate Floette in a Gyarados's jaws. The idea reminded Mewtwo of when Ash had tried to _punch_him, another one of the most idiotic human actions he had ever witnessed. In fact, the premise was uncannily similar. This boy had run into a battle he had no chance of victory in to protect his Pokémon and his friend.

Still, Mewtwo needed this to be clear. **_You did that on your own? There was no Pokémon with you?_**

The boy shook his head. "No. Just me."

Once again, Mewtwo found himself impressed that the boy did not have a Pokémon partner, but instead chose to do things himself. It was something he had never expected to see in mankind, and it just as amazing as the first time he had seen the moon in its gentle radiance.

He hesitated a moment, and then offered, **_It was not entirely foolish, though. Attacking the tail—a Charizard's weak point—is a fairly clever move._**

The boy's eyebrows went straight up. "Was that a compliment, Mewtwo?"

Mewtwo allowed a small smile. **_Do not get overconfident, human._**

The boy smiled back, but then, Mewtwo was distracted. In the dense cloud of human and Pokémon presences, Mewtwo sensed a variation. Small and faint, but too powerful to just be an everyday life form. He knew it.

His cells were here.

Mewtwo stood up and scanned the runway with both his eyes and his mind. It all was going through the same routine as usual—planes come in, load and unload, and then go out. Only now, Mewtwo's cells were among them.

**_They are here,_**Mewtwo said to the human, as he tried to narrow down their location. He closed his eyes and reached for them, trying to get a more precise location. To the left…getting closer…

"You sense them?" the boy said, getting up as well. "That must mean Dr. Drew is here."

**_Yes,_**Mewtwo said absently, curling his fists together.

"So I _was_right," the boy said, a hint of smugness in his voice. "Dr. Drew did come back to Ryme City. Mr. Mime was sure that the buyer would be meeting him here. And if Lucy's hunch is also true, then they'll have a landing platform all to themselves."

Mewtwo was barely listening, more focused on reaching for his cells. **_All I need to do is find my cells, and then I can retrieve them._**

"No, wait a second," the boy said, holding out a hand before Mewtwo. "Remember—airport full of trainers who are looking for you. You've got to lay low if you can help it. And don't we want to catch the buyer as well? We should wait until they show up, and then we can catch everyone who's after your cells."

Mewtwo opened his eyes to look at the boy. His first and immediate instinct was to say no. He could cast out all of those trainers, and he needed his cells as quickly as possible. He could not give them the chance to escape again. He also didn't _want_to confront the buyer, if it was who he thought it was.

_But I have to,_Mewtwo realized. If Giovanni somehow knew about him again, and was after him…then Mewtwo should know and be on guard.

After a few moments of contemplation, Mewtwo nodded slowly. **_Very well. How do you suggest we find them? The human with my cells could trade them away from our view, off the runway._**

"Put me down," the child said, pointing to the ground below them. "I'll go check it out. You stay here, out of sight."

Mewtwo sighed internally, but he knew the human had a point. To reveal himself now would instantly make their target aware of their presence, and he would flee—as well as make Mewtwo a target for all of those overeager trainers. The boy, however, was much less likely to raise an alarm.

Mewtwo lifted his hand, his eyes glowing with psychic energy, and he lifted the boy gently off the roof. He saw the human bite his lip to stop from gasping in surprise, as Mewtwo gently sent him over the edge and lowered him to the ground. Once the boy landed, he waved assurance at Mewtwo and then jogged to the closest entrance to the airport.

Once he was out of sight, Mewtwo sat back down. And now…he waited.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen: Tim

**[Before we begin, I'd like to point out that February 6th was Mewtwo's Birthday! Happy Birthday to our favorite Mew clone. Now, on with the story!]**

Tim rushed through the runway, trying not to be seen. Everyone in the area seemed busy with the rush of the airport and just waking up for the day, yet still, he didn't want anyone getting suspicious. If he could get back into a crowd of trainers instead of out in the open, he'd blend in enough not to be noticed.

Tim slipped in through the door he had come through last night and remembered enough to make his way back to the public area. In no time he was in the large hall with everyone else. It wasn't as crowded this morning as it had been yesterday evening, but Tim had no doubt it would pick up as the day went on.

When sensing his cells, Mewtwo had been looking towards wing B, so that's where Tim headed. Would Dr. Drew be waiting for a flight? Or waiting for someone to land? Tim carefully checked each waiting area, while also watching the people who passed by. He felt like he was looking for a Manaphy in a school of Phione. Racking his brain for detective lessons his Dad had taught him, Tim pressed on. How long did they have until the deal was made? Would it be a quick drop-off, or more to it? Tim's jellies told him Dr. Drew had come earlier than his buyer, but how early?

Then Tim's phone began to buzz. He was so wrapped in his observations that he was taken by surprise, and fumbled to fish it out. His heart stopped when he saw the caller ID:

_Dad._

Why was Harry up this early? Didn't he need more sleep? The sun was hardly up. Tim had expected his Dad to sleep in for a least a few more hours. But luck didn't seem to be on his side. Now his Dad had gotten up, and seen that Tim wasn't in the apartment, that he had snuck out.

If Tim didn't answer, his Dad would think he was in trouble. Cringing but not knowing what else to do, Tim hit the answer button. "Morning, Dad, you're up early."

"_I'm_up early? What about _you?_Where are you, Tim?"

Tim flinched; his Dad did not sound happy. "I just…got up for an early walk. Don't worry about it."

"Really. Or was it a _drive,_Tim?" Tim ducked out of the hall to one of the waiting areas so he could focus better on the conversation, trying not to look guilty in such a public place. "Don't lie to me, Tim. You think I wouldn't notice that the car keys are missing? Where are you?"

Tim cursed silently; he had forgotten that he had taken the car to get here. He really was in no shape to come up with a believable story right now. There were too many people around him, too much activity—outside, a plane flew into the air by the window. "Sorry, Dad—I can't talk right now. I'll explain everything later, I promise." _Hopefully when I come up with a believable lie._

"Don't you dare hang up on me, Tim—"

Tim hung up and quickly turned off his phone. He was going to be in for it when he saw his Dad next, but he was _so close_to finally finding the R, he couldn't stop now. He held the phone in both hands for a moment, half tempted to call his Dad back and tell him everything. But he pressed it back in his pocket.

**_You are agitated,_**Mewtwo's voice bloomed into Tim's head and he jumped, still not used to it. The clone's low timbre sounded as if he were sitting right next to him.

_I just got a call from my Dad,_Tim thought uneasily, biting his lip. _He's not happy with me, but we still have time._

**_Are you sure you can handle this if you are so distracted? _**A small pause, and then, **_If you need to leave to confront your father, I can handle this on my own._**

Tim squashed the irritation in his chest. Mewtwo could handle it all right, but the point was to_not_put the legendary clone in danger, or worse, put _everyone else_in danger.

_Trust me,_Tim called, still glancing side to side for a sign of Dr. Drew, trying to do his job. But the sudden withdrawal of Mewtwo's presence made Tim freeze. He hadn't even realized what he had been feeling of Mewtwo's power until it was gone.

_Mewtwo?_he called uneasily. Then he realized what he'd just asked—_'Trust me.'_Tim had said it automatically but…_did_Mewtwo trust him?

The feeling crept back slowly at Tim's call. **_Very well,_**he said after a moment.**_You have my confidence, human._**

The words made Tim smile, and he got back up again. He had Mewtwo's trust, and he was going to prove he deserved it.

He passed the artworks from before—they seemed like good potential rendezvous. Every hooded figure he encountered, he tried his best to get a look at their faces. Trainers and Pokémon still crowded the area, more and more each minute as the day got going. They chatted with each other, with their Pokémon, with the welcoming agents of Ryme City. Tim was walking down the waiting area when he finally saw who he was looking for.

Dr. Drew himself. Instinctively, Tim froze, before he hurriedly—_casually—_sat down in a nearby open seat. The doctor's blonde hair and slight scruff was unmistakable, even if he wasn't in the lab coat like before. He was wearing clothes that blended in better, a collared red shirt and jeans, and was focused on a laptop in front of him. He hadn't noticed Tim yet.

Tim swiftly snatched a magazine on the chair next to him and lifted it in front of his face, pretending to read it. He had found Dr. Drew. He peeked over the tip of the magazine and saw a briefcase by the doctor's feet—that had to have the R inside. Now Tim just needed to find the buyer, somehow get the cells, and capture both Dr. Drew and whoever else wanted the cells. That sounded impossible, but Mewtwo was ready to intervene whenever he would need to.

Speaking of whom, Mewtwo would probably want to know Tim had found Dr. Drew. Tim pursed his lip and again tried to think as loud as he could, still not sure how this connection to Mewtwo worked. _Mewtwo? I found Dr. Drew._

**_I already know, human._****_I see him through your eyes. How do you plan to identify the buyer?_**

Tim griped the magazine a little tighter. _Because he'll talk to them?_

**_They could easily be in disguise to blend in. And there is no way for me to distinguish them in the throng of human minds, at least not from this distance. You will have to keep a close eye on my cells…_**

_And you'll have to keep a close eye on those planes,_Tim thought back. _I don't think this meeting place is a coincidence. You're in perfect position to watch out for that._

Mewtwo's voice sounded as close to puzzled as it had ever been. **_And how shall I tell whether the incoming travelers are innocents or criminals?_**

_Like Lucy said, a platform was shut down._

There was a thoughtful pause before Mewtwo responded. **_What was the exact information your human female found?_**

Tim's cheeks became flaming red and he buried his face into the magazine, heart pounding on his ribs suddenly. What made it worse about his embarrassment was that Mewtwo was certainly sensing Tim's current emotions, just as Tim occasionally sensed some of Mewtwo's. When this was over, Tim swore he would look into books about blocking out mind readers.

_She's not _my_human!_Tim thought as loud as he could, trying to cover everything else. _She's not—we're not—we're just friends!_

Something like exasperation, annoyance, and maybe a trickle of guilt pressed into Tim's mind. He could practically _see_Mewtwo's grimace. **_I merely meant the human that you know, _**Mewtwo said softly. **_What did she tell you about this airport?_**

Tim shuffled in his seat, and tried to get his whirling thoughts under control. _She just said there was shut-down platform. Not much else._He thought for a moment, and then took a peek at Dr. Drew. He looked perfectly relaxed; happy, even. Like he was about to get a lot of money. _Buying an illegal chemical, shutting down an airport space in a city, having a plane all to themselves…whoever we're facing, they must have a lot of resources._

A lot of resources, and they were after Mewtwo, or at least his cells. Perhaps this person had ties to Howard Clifford? The elderly villain was locked up tight, but as the founder of Clifford Enterprises, he could easily have connections to the outside world.

**_I have faced such foes before, _**Mewtwo said cryptically. Tim wanted to ask what that meant, but then Mewtwo moved on. **_So I am to watch for this empty platform?_**

_Yeah, if you can. Why are you asking?_

**_Because an empty part of the runway is being briefly checked up for a landing._**

Tim almost dropped the magazine. _That must be it! _He glanced up at Dr. Drew again. _There's no way it's a coincidence that it's being checked up now. It must be them. When are they coming, can you tell?_

There was a pause, as Tim assumed Mewtwo was looking. **_I believe I can see a black craft on the horizon…_**

Tim yet again peeked up at Dr. Drew, who hadn't changed at all. _Keep a close eye on that. If it's them, then Dr. Drew should make a move soon._

Tim spent the next minute watching Dr. Drew as closely as possible without being seen himself. Dr. Drew had seen him before, so all the man had to do was glance up and he'd recognize Tim. Then again, they were on opposite sides of the hall, and airport passengers and personnel continuously walked between them.

**_Human…_**Mewtwo's voice called unsurely. **_I know this craft._**

_What do you mean?_

**_Its design is unique. I have seen it before._**

_Where? _Tim's eyebrows knotted together thoughtfully. _Your 'resourceful foes?'_

For a long moment Mewtwo didn't respond. Tim became convinced he had somehow failed to transmit that thought, but he didn't know how. Whatever this one-on-one telepathic communication was, it was all Mewtwo. _Mewtwo_narrowed his focus down on Tim, read his thoughts and spoke in his mind. Tim had no way to strengthen it or activate it on his own. At least, not that he knew of.

But then Mewtwo spoke. **_It does not matter. But these _are_the buyers. I am certain of it. And we cannot allow my cells to fall into their hands._**

Tim considered demanding an explanation, but then Dr. Drew looked up from his laptop. Cursing, he ducked back behind his magazine. After a second, he dared to peek back up, in case Dr. Drew had seen him and was now escaping. But Dr. Drew was still sitting there, and he wasn't looking at Tim. His gaze was behind him, out the window of his waiting area. Tim couldn't see much out of it from across the hall, but he saw the shadow of something landing. And its shape…didn't quite fit that of a plane's.

Dr. Drew slapped shut his laptop, tucked it away into a bag, scooped up his briefcase, and stood up. Tim quickly stood as well, and struggled to keep up with Dr. Drew through the crowd. He accidently stepped on a Liepard's tail and it hissed at him.

"Sorry," Tim called over his shoulder, before hurrying back after Dr. Drew. He pushed past people in his way, trying to keep up with the doctor. _Red shirt,_Tim tried to remember. _He's wearing a red shirt. _Tim wished he was just a few inches taller to see over all these people and Pokémon.

Dr. Drew made a turn, breaking away from the crowd. Tim paused a step, and then snuck after him. There was a door by the large windows that led out onto the runway, morning light pouring through it. Dr. Drew headed towards it, and Tim was following, when he was interrupted by Mewtwo's voice.

**_The ship has landed, _**Mewtwo said abruptly.

_'Ship'? What do you mean, 'ship'?_Tim asked, confused, but then he saw it through the window. Mewtwo was right, in no way was the craft a plane. It was closer to a helicopter, if even that. It was as pitch-black as Darkrai, with two giant propellers on both of its sides. Its windows were made of shaded black glass, glistening especially near its front. On top of its body, between its two giant propellers, a red eye stared forward. There was no other way to describe that part of the design—it was a circular form that looked precisely like an eye.

_You've seen this before? _Tim wondered to Mewtwo, for he had never seen anything like it. It was attracting the attention of other people in the airport as well. Both humans and Pokémon were coming up beside Tim to look through the window at the strange new ship. Who, exactly, was buying Mewtwo's cells?

That was when Tim saw Dr. Drew outside, walking towards the ship. Tim shook his head, he'd gotten distracted. Hurriedly he turned and went through the door that led out to the runway. The ship's propellers were still swirling, as if it was ready to take off again at any moment. In that loud noise, no one noticed as he stood several feet behind Dr. Drew, the strong gusts of wind pushing at all of them. Tim didn't like being out in the open, though; he spotted a cart of suitcases and ran behind it. Craning his neck, Tim peeked over the suitcases at the ship.

Dr. Drew approached the craft, and its hull opened up. A blonde woman in a black suit walked down it, her steps confident and quick. On sight, this woman instantly reminded Tim of Ms. Norman. Somehow, she held that exact air of confident focus and lax impatience. She was beautiful, but in a cold and slightly scary way. Tim would guess she was in her late twenties, but with self-assurance that was beyond her years. She wore a close-fitting black jacket, a short white skirt with high boots, and oddly, there was some kind of black flower behind her ear, poking out of her curly hair. White gloves encased her arms. In her right hand she held a briefcase just like Dr. Drew's. Two men in similar dark grey outfits walked on either side of her, but a step behind her, ready to follow her commands. All three of them had Pokéballs attached to their belts.

The woman stopped before Dr. Drew, and gestured her free hand towards his own briefcase. "Is that it?"

He nodded. "Yes. So—" Dr. Drew reached slightly for her own briefcase, but she held up a hand to cut him off.

"Not quite yet," she said, and drew a small metal stick from her belt. "Show me."

Dr. Drew nodded and opened up the briefcase. He was facing away from Tim, so Tim couldn't see inside, but he could easily imagine the vials of purple R. The woman held up the stick to the briefcase and waited.

When would be the right time to strike? Surely Mewtwo could easily take them out. But when? Why did these people _want_Mewtwo's cells? Who were they?

For the first time, Tim saw the woman's eyes light up with interest. Whatever that rod told her, she liked it. "These are off the charts…" Tim heard her mutter. She reached to take the briefcase's handle but Dr. Drew snapped it closed.

"Money now, if you please," he said.

Her eyes narrowed but she offered no objection and held up her own briefcase. She opened it, revealing several neatly lined stacks of Pokédollars. Dr. Drew eagerly reached for them, but the woman pointedly snapped the briefcase closed, a coy smile clearly displaying the move as an act of revenge. She offered its handle with one hand, her other held out for the other briefcase. Dr. Drew didn't hesitate, and lifted his own briefcase—

Some part of Tim _knew_that this was the moment. That he couldn't let that woman get her hands on the cells even for a second. Without consulting the upper more thoughtful parts of his brain, Tim charged forward from his hiding place and grabbed the briefcase right as the woman took it.

"What the—?" Dr. Drew exclaimed as Tim kicked at him, and then tried to wrench the briefcase away. But the woman wouldn't let it go that easily. Her dark eyes locked onto his, dropping the other briefcase so she could grab onto the R more firmly.

Tim tugged at the case, but she didn't let go. Her face contorted in anger and suspiciousness. "Who are you?"

Tim pulled harder instead of answering, but she wouldn't budge. Before he'd run up to face her, her confidence had made her look tall and intimidating. Up close, he saw that she was actually a small woman, but she was still _strong._Her goons stepped forward and grabbed his arms, trying to pry Tim off.

A small, sharp black energy orb swung through the air between them, and all four of them leapt back from one another instinctively. Yet the woman held onto the case. Tim didn't have time to grab it again, as Mewtwo landed on the concrete, merely ten feet away from them, and he stood tall and firm like the legendary Pokémon he was. At once, intensity permeated the air like a sharp explosion. The engines of the airport muffled most noises, yet Tim could still hear a few cries of alarm across the runway. He glanced back towards the other planes, and he could immediately see people and Pokémon staring in shock at Mewtwo. A few people took out cameras and their phones, hurriedly holding them up to take videos and make calls.

If Mewtwo was aware of how much attention he was drawing, he didn't show it. He lifted a three-fingered hand and pointed at the briefcase with the R. **_That does not belong to any of you._**

To Tim's surprise, the woman smiled. "Good. I love taking things that aren't mine." She took a step closer to the dangerous, angry legendary Pokémon, drawing the black flower out of her hair. "I was hoping you'd show up."

Tim could see Mewtwo's eyes harden. **_Your hope was misplaced. Hand over my cells now, and no one will be hurt._**

"Now where's the fun in that?" the woman said carelessly. "No pain, no gain, so to speak."

Beside Tim, Dr. Drew frowned. "Your cells?" he repeated.

"Yes," the woman said softly. She reached down to the briefcase and clicked it open to draw out one vial. She pinched the vial and her black flower in one hand. "The cells of the most powerful Pokémon in the world…"

Mewtwo's eyes glowed blue, but the woman curled her gloved fingers around the vial in her hand, and the briefcase she also held. The blue flames vanished, and Mewtwo looked _surprised._

"Like it?" the woman asked, twisting the flower and the vial together. "A high-class agent like myself is given special gear, such as this cute little fashion statement." She gestured down to her attire. "Sewn from fabrics drawn from dark-types; Pangoro fur, Honchkrow feathers…the ultimate defense against psychic-types, only for the best, such as myself. And I have plenty of other toys as well." She gave a little bow. "I am Special Team Rocket Agent Double-Oh-Nine; Domino," she flashed a grin. "The Black Tulip."

Tim felt turned around; Team Rocket? The crime gang of the Kanto region? _They_were the ones after Mewtwo's cells?

Mewtwo snarled. **_I know who you are, human. _**

Tim's mind was already spiraling with how many people were seeing Mewtwo and how to handle these unexpected criminals, but Mewtwo's words brought it all to a halt. How did Mewtwo _know_these people?

_"Do_you?" the woman asked, eyes lighting up with interest. "We theorized you might have tampered with our memories at some point." She eyed him with keen awareness. "So tell me, where have we met before?"

**_You shall never know,_**he growled. **_This is your last chance; hand over my cells._**

The woman smiled, set down the briefcase, and for a split-second Tim thought she was going to step back and let Mewtwo take it. But instead, she snapped her fingers.

The two other Team Rocket agents hurled forward Pokéballs, and with roars of fury, a Tyranitar and a Dusknoir burst forth on either side of her. After tossing a lock of her blonde hair over her shoulder, the woman twisted the vial open and dropped it to the ground. It sprayed out over the Tyranitar and Dusknoir, and they jerked back instinctively as they breathed in the smog. Tim grimaced as he saw their eyes go purple, just as Sebastian's Charizard had done, and snarled wildly.

With a twist and a pull, the woman extended the stem of her tulip into a ramrod straight pole, a staff which she gripped comfortably in her hands and pointed at Mewtwo.

"Come and get them."

Mewtwo didn't hesitate to oblige her. His right hand shot out with glowing blue power, and the briefcase made a wrenching motion on its own towards him. But one of the other agents quickly jumped forward and snatched it before it could move even a few inches. Before Mewtwo could pull harder, the Tyranitar charged.

Tim had never seen Tyranitar open its mouth as far as possible, but it was a disturbing sight. The jaw snapped open like a Sharpedo's and latched onto Mewtwo's shoulder. Tim flinched and Mewtwo snarled, his free arm reaching to push Tyranitar away as it tried to lift him off the ground. Mewtwo whipped his tail around, whirlpools of water materializing around it, and slapped Tyranitar with Aqua Tail, drenching Tyranitar's back. The Armor Pokémon shuddered, but refused to let go. Before Mewtwo could make another attempt to escape, Dusknoir shot forward and used Shadow Punch.

Tim was almost too distracted to realize that the woman—'Black Tulip,' so she was called—was barking orders at her agents. "You! Take the cells and return to the rendezvous! We'll take care of Mewtwo."

As Mewtwo flung the Tyranitar over his head to dislodge it, Tim scrambled after the briefcase with the cells. Both he and Tulip's agent reached it at the same time, but the thug pushed Tim away easily before bolting towards the ship. Tim stumbled to the ground again but leapt back up and ran right after the man. Without even thinking, he followed the agent all the way into the ship.

It wasn't until the ramp snapped shut behind him, the floor lurched as it began to take off, and the agent he was chasing turned around with a grimace, that Tim realized how terribly stupid that had been. He fisted his hands and swallowed. Stupid, but he couldn't give up.

The grunt regarded him skeptically. "You got gut, Kid," he commented. "But _that—"_three more agents, dressed in the same black Team Rocket uniform, came forward, glaring at Tim, "—was a big mistake."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen: Mewtwo

If the bright spots of pain from Tyranitar's Crunch hadn't been clouding Mewtwo's mind, he might have noticed that the presence of his cells was slipping further and further away. As it was, only one thing was clear in his head:

_He was going to tear these Pokémon apart._

The Tyranitar was trying to lift Mewtwo off his feet, but Mewtwo braced his legs against the ground and swung the heavy Pokémon off him. He tried to aim its body at the Dusknoir, but the ghost-type quickly levitated out of the way, taking to higher air. Mewtwo lunged after the Dusknoir, and it evaded again, yet he swung a Shadow Ball after it. The Dusknoir continued to avoid, and Mewtwo pursued it across the airport, swinging another Shadow Ball, and another. The Dusknoir's movements were erratic, its one eye dark purple and fazed with the energy of Mewtwo's own cells, increasing its speed. Jerking side to side to avoid Mewtwo's attacks, it whirled and charged at him once it thought it saw an opening. But Mewtwo pitched another Shadow Ball and sent Dusknoir careening back towards an airplane. There was a _crash_of metal and several screaming humans as they hurried out of the way. Knowing Dusknoir would only take a few seconds to recover, Mewtwo turned around, looking for the Tyranitar.

But instead, it was the Team Rocket girl who shot him square in the chest.

Mewtwo grunted as he was sent flying back just as Dusknoir had been. The strike—it had come from the Domino girl, shot from the bud of that flower of hers, and its electrical power wrapped its spindly tendrils around him like a thousand tiny Spinarak crawling over his skin and leaving behind their strands of web to withhold him. His whole body shook as the sensation spread, numbing him as he rolled on the ground over and over. He stopped on his side, feeling though a ghostly Froslass had breathed her Icy Wind into his bones. His body twitched with relentless spasms, his psychic powers turned to static, and his eyesight was blurred beyond use, but Mewtwo—with great effort—pushed himself up with his arms. His legs refused to respond. He was trying to force them to cooperate when he felt a firm, small touch on his collarbone.

Mewtwo blinked several times, and eventually his eyes started to work again. Agent Domino stood directly before him, cruel smile on her lips as she leaned forward and watched him closely, her elongated staff pointed at him, with the bud on his chest.

"We were _fascinated,"_she drew out, "when we discovered _hundreds_of blueprints for technology dedicated to defeating psychic-type Pokémon of extreme power in our old records. Like ray-guns that stunned any Pokémon, and shot energy that neutralized psychic energy. And yet, _no one_had any memory of ever commissioning this research." She twisted the staff between her fingers, shifting the bud to Mewtwo's neck. He bared his teeth at her, but held still, waiting for his muscles to recover enough that he could move properly.

"Tell me," she said, her voice lowering to a whisper, "what you took from us. You, somehow, for some reason, stole our memories, stole our history, and we didn't even _know_it." Her eyes turned cold. "No one steals from Team Rocket." Her voice got lower. "Give it back."

Mewtwo's eyes began to glow, rage building in him that she dared, she _dared,_to speak to him with such temerity. His power was scrambled, yes, a staccato of energy with little organization, but he still _had_power, even beyond his psychic abilities. Giovanni's technology wasn't perfect, and would never live up to Mewtwo's strength.

Mewtwo lifted his eyes to her, clenching his fingers and feeling them glow with blue energy. **_You do not get to command me._**

Aura Sphere shot out of his fingertips and sent her careening back. Mewtwo wasn't sure how effective her 'dark-type' clothing was, but a fighting-type move would have some effect nonetheless. Knowing she or one of her lackies would be on him in moments, he tried to summon impetus to his limbs and stand up. He straightened one leg underneath him, using his tail to balance himself. His eyesight was clearing up and his psychic abilities became less muddled with each passing second, but then he realized that both Tyranitar and Dusknoir were right on top of him.

The Dusknoir grabbed him from behind, wrapping its strangling, gangly fingers around his arms like ropes, holding him in place while the Tyranitar charged Shadow Claw in its talons and drew back to strike him.

Had Mewtwo been in his apogee, which he almost always was, he would have twisted out of Dusknoir's grip and forced the ghost-type Pokémon to take the brunt of Tyranitar's Shadow Claw. But as it was, he doubted he jump a foot high, much less wrest himself from Dusknoir's grip and successfully escape Tyranitar's reach. And with his arms restrained by Dusknoir, he couldn't shoot Aura Sphere again.

With his options limited, Mewtwo summoned his strength to use Protect, trying to form a shield between himself and the Armor Pokémon, even if it still left him open to Dusknoir. Tyranitar slashed its claw against Mewtwo's transparent shield, the bang reverberating like a Bronzong's cry, and Dusknoir gave a deep hiss of frustration. Its round body began to glow with a dark purple-red vortex of energy, and Mewtwo's eyes widened as he recognized Dark Pulse charging up. He struggled against Dusknoir's hold, but he hadn't recovered enough energy yet, and there was no way he could use Protect against Dusknoir while he was _in its arms._

Then—a completely unfamiliar Absol came out of nowhere, its talon glowing with the shadowy power of Night Slash, fissuring its claws right through Dusknoir's chest. The Absol's sonorous cry cut through the battle just as abruptly as the Night Slash. The Dusknoir's hands were wrenched away from Mewtwo's arms, and Mewtwo barely had time to process what he was seeing when a solemn Lucario and a twirling Politoed began attacking Tyranitar on the other side of his shield.

One of Mewtwo's legs gave out of him without Dusknoir's hands to hold him up, and he fell to one knee, his shield dissipating. His tail dropped to the ground but he refused to fall over, still dumbfounded as to what was happening. As an Alolan Marowak joined the Absol in facing off the Dusknoir and forcing it back, an Audino rushed to Mewtwo's side and dared to place a gentle hand on his shoulder. He did not have strength nor focus to shake her off, but he tensed unsurely at her kind eyes and sympathetic smile. From her touch, an alleviating, warm energy emitted and flowed slowly into his body. It soothed his muscles and dimmed his pain, like Recover, but warmer and fuller and did not leave him tired.

_"Don't worry,"_she said to him. _"I've got you."_

_Heal Pulse,_Mewtwo recognized dimly. She was tending to him, resuscitating him. He wasn't sure why she was doing so, nor why these Pokémon had just come to his rescue. He turned his gaze to the Dusknoir and Tyranitar, and saw them struggling to battle several Pokémon that had appeared out of nowhere. An Unfezant swooped down to Air Slash the Dusknoir, a Kricketune was Screeching at the Tyranitar, the Absol from before stood resolute guard between Mewtwo and the chaotic conflict.

_Where did all these Pokémon come from? Why are they helping me?_

And then a human appeared at the Audino's side.

Mewtwo wrenched himself back at an unfamiliar human appearing so closely, so suddenly. His limited psychic abilities at the moment meant he hadn't felt her come near, at all. But even through his alarm, he could see this girl was of little threat. She was a teenage human trainer, in bright clothing that reminded him of Ash's red-haired female friend, the water-type trainer. Her obvious youth, friendly demeanor, and his own exhaustion made him unable to completely withdraw.

She didn't seem to notice his wariness, but knelt down next to him with concern. "Are you all right?"

He narrowed his eyes, but didn't have time to respond. Another trainer, this one with shaggy black hair, a green jacket, and a backwards cap, came to her other side. Why were these two trainers here? Mewtwo was already weak—were they about to launch barrages of Pokéballs at him?

The second trainer didn't draw a Pokéball, however. He only glanced at Mewtwo before he turned a hard glare towards the Tyranitar and Dusknoir. "Leave this Pokémon alone! You're really hurting him!" the boy shouted at them.

Agent Domino, fists clenched in anger as she stood only feet from the battle, snarled at him. "Foolish boy," she spat. "How dare you interfere. Bug off; this is none of your business."

"No way!" And then_another_trainer boy appeared along with the others. "We are Pokémon trainers, and we'll never let any Pokémon get ganged up on like this! This isn't a proper battle!"

There were _far_too many humans around Mewtwo for him to be comfortable. But their words, so naïve and foolish, yet so clearly and firmly believed in, caught his attention. Two and two came together in his mind—these trainers were _protecting him._These humans were _standing up for him._

Impossible, his instincts told him.

And yet, here it was.

The Audino's trainer, the girl, stood up with angry, fisted hands and shouted at Agent Domino, "You're a bully! _You_should bug off!"

"Little twerp!" one of the Team Rocket agents shouted back. "Tyranitar, attack them!"

Tyranitar roared its wide mouth open and charged a bright Hyper Beam of white light between its jaws, which soon shot out at the Lucario and Marowak. The Lucario dodged, but the Marowak was blown away by the hit. The Beam streaked across the landscape, jagging at Politoed, who barely managed to scramble out of the way, and heading for Mewtwo, Absol, Audino, and the trainers.

Mewtwo still wasn't sure what these young humans were doing, but he wasn't going to let them be hurt.

Audino's Heal Pulse had helped clear his mind, and though his psychic powers were still crippled, his body was starting to work again. He was between the trainers and the Beam in a heartbeat, using Protect to defend them. It struck against his dome, the energy streaking off into harmless flares. Mewtwo didn't even flinch at the power suspended before him, and bending the energy around him, he turned the Beam over in the air and redirected it back at the Tyranitar. The power slammed into the green Pokémon and it stumbled back, shaking side to side.

"Wow…" one of the trainers whispered admirably, while the Absol offered its songlike howl in gratitude.

Mewtwo glanced back at them. As much as it impressed him that they had stepped in, this was still not their concern, and Mewtwo wanted as few humans involved as possible. **_Thank you for the assistance, _**Mewtwo spoke to them, and they all gasped and lifted their hands to their heads in amazement at his voice. **_But she is right; this is not your concern. You must leave._**

The trainer of the Absol responded first. "Helping Pokémon _is_our concern! We're not gonna leave you to _them!"_

And as if that statement alone settled the matter, the trainers jumped back into the battle. They didn't even seem to realize that their actions were _wrong_, not morally, but because _humans simply didn't do this. _The third trainer commanded, "Unfezant! Wing Attack!"

Despite these trainers proving Mewtwo wrong by their compassion, they still held true to the human propensity of being persistently foolish. Still keeping the shield in place, he tried to reason with them. **_Even working together, these opponents are extremely strong. The three of you cannot defeat them—you could get hurt._**

"It _won't_be just the three of them."

An adult man ran across the runway, followed by over two dozen other young trainers of different ages and regions, all glaring determinedly at the Team Rocket agents and ready to fight. But the man leading them—

"Ryme City Police Department! All battles stop, all Pokéballs drop, or you better be ready to be _popped!"_

The boy's father. No mistaking it. If not by his character, then by the Pikachu running right beside him, sporting the same detective cap as always.

And then, before Mewtwo could fully process what they were doing, all the young trainers stood at his side, facing off against Team Rocket. On both of his flanks, he suddenly found several trainers not facing off against him as he was used to, but standing at _his_side. Standing by him almost loyally, protectively, supporting him.

Mewtwo was too stunned to muster a coherent thought to send to their minds, and his shield vanished as he lost focus. What was this? All these trainers should be attacking _him,_should be sending their proud teams after him, bombarding him with Pokémon and Pokéballs. Why were they joining his side instead?

"You're clearly outnumbered," the boy's father called, now standing directly at Mewtwo's side. He was almost twice as tall as most of the children standing beside him. "Stand down now."

Agent Domino gripped the staff between her fists tightly. "You underestimate the strength of Team Rocket!"

"_You_underestimate the strength of ten-year-olds!" the boy's father shouted back. He opened his arms to encompass the children behind. "And I have a small army of them here."

One of the young trainers shot him a glare. "I'm _eleven."_

The father ignored her. "By the authority of the Ryme City Police, stand down now."

Agent Domino narrowed her eyes, glancing at all the trainers. She was very clearly outnumbered, even if only by little humans, and Mewtwo wondered if she actually might surrender. He wished his psychic powers had recovered enough to give him a solid read on her, but he was barely starting to feel the humans right next to him at this point.

Mewtwo studied her body language instead. She was leery, not as confident as she had been minutes before, but she stood firm. "_We_were the ones who were attacked by _that_rabid Pokémon!" She jabbed her gloved finger at Mewtwo, and he narrowed his eyes. Just like Team Rocket, to twist people against other foes. What she said was true…but lacking details.

Still, he had no desire to explain or justify himself to humans. If the table were turned on him, then would these trainers attack him? Would this fickle, fragile protection collapse so easily?

The detective practically radiated cavalier. "Funny. You're not the one being beaten to the ground," he said blithely. He then pointed to the Tyranitar and Dusknoir, still blank-eyed and deranged. "Those Pokémon of yours seem to be under the influence of the illegal chemical known as R. They looked more 'rabid' to me. And even if what you say is true, then it shouldn't be a problem to do as I said." All his flippancy vanished in an instant, and his voice turned cold. "Call back your Pokémon, and put your hands in the air."

Agent Domino was livid, and her remaining agent looked scared. But she snarled and said, "Team Rocket will _never_surrender! You will feel _a world_of pain!"

"Not on our watch!" one of the children cried, with a loud chorus of agreements from the others. They all threw out their Pokéballs like a thousand little Swift stars, which exploded into a plethora of battle-ready Pokémon.

Mewtwo was seriously considering if he had been knocked out and was dreaming this whole thing.

Humans didn't do this—at least not this many. Ash would certainly have joined this fray of chaos, happy to help anybody, even Mewtwo. But not every trainer was Ash; most of them wanted to catch and battle Pokémon. Why weren't all these trainers turning on Mewtwo? He was the most powerful Pokémon in the world, undoubtedly the greatest opportunity any of them had ever seen. Yet now, they seemed thoroughly uninterested in catching him and only desired to protect him. His hunters…had come to his aid. Mewtwo's mind had never conceived of this. He would not believe it if he were not watching it happen right before his eyes. It made more sense that this was all some wild dream his subconscious had constructed.

But you couldn't feel exhaustion in dreams; Mewtwo struggled to stay standing, staggering back as the Pokémon rushed forward to charge at Team Rocket. His legs gave out underneath him again and he fell on the concrete, trying to push himself back up. He felt that soft touch of Heal Pulse on his side again, and looked over to Audino.

_"You're still hurt,"_she told him gently. "_You have to take it easy."_

Mewtwo glanced up at the battle; Tyranitar and Dusknoir were being quickly cornered by the trainers' Pokémon. The two snarled ferally, not even speaking the Pokémon language, their minds were so lost. Even surrounded, they were unable to feel fear, only lashing out in mad fury. Though many of the Pokémon facing them weren't nearly as strong—a Weedle wormed its way into the battle—it was clear which side was winning. Mewtwo didn't need to step in.

He looked down at Audino, and nodded in gratitude. **_Thank you._**

At least five of the trainers began to approach him, and Mewtwo tensed. But the detective stepped forward and waved them back. "Give him space, guys, this is a _wild_Pokémon here and he's hurt."

Mewtwo narrowed his eyes, unsure how he felt about being called 'wild,' but it made the trainers regretfully back away and return their attention to commanding their Pokémon. Mewtwo watched as they called out ideas for strategies, tactics for teamwork, praises and advice. He noticed how they specifically ordered their Pokémon to force their enemies away from him, guarding him. Mewtwo even spotted the Noctowl he'd met yesterday, slashing her talons into her opponents.

Mewtwo was jolted out of his surveillance, however, as the detective came forward himself. He knelt beside Mewtwo, eyes skeptical behind his glasses. "Mewtwo," he acknowledged. "I didn't think you were still in Ryme City."

Mewtwo scoffed. **_You are as presumptuous as your son._**

The detective straightened up in alarm. "My son? Tim? Do you know what's happened to him?"

It was only then that Mewtwo realized—he didn't. The battle had distracted him. He turned his head to where the ship had been—but it was gone. It had already taken off. Agent Domino's other lackey must have escaped on the ship with the cells, meaning the ship was getting further and further every second.

The boy had been chasing that agent.

Mewtwo gathered his energy, preparing for flight. **_He is in danger. I must go after him._**

"But you're injured—" the detective began, but Mewtwo was already pushing away Audino's hand and taking to the air. He ascended above the chaos of the airport and twisted around in the sky, trying to figure out where the ship had gone. He couldn't feel his bond with the boy, his mind hadn't recovered enough yet. Telepathically, he was deaf. He would have to do things without his psychic powers. Just when he spotted the ship as a speck on the horizon, far but he could easily catch up, a black ball of energy shot past him. Mewtwo jerked back, thinking at first it was just a stray blast from the battle below, but then another came at him. Mewtwo tried to dodge again, slipping through the air, but the orb knocked into his tail.

Again, the electrical shock consumed him. It had hit the edge of his tail, and so the energy did not transmit through his body as fully as before, but still clamored its way through his skin and up his spine. He lost all feeling—his senses buzzed stridently, no sight, no hearing, it felt like all his cells were as directionless as Spindas.

When he regained some control over his body and came to, Mewtwo vaguely felt several talons digging tightly his shoulders and arms, yet even that was numb. The Unfezant, a Staravia, and the Noctowl were all supporting him, beating their wings wildly to lower him to the ground. His feet felt the concrete earth come beneath him, and the bird Pokémon let him go. His legs weren't working again, and he fell.

"Mewtwo!" the detective was by his side instantly. He put a hand on Mewtwo's shoulder, but Mewtwo's nerves didn't even feel it. His eyes were functional, but everything was blurred. He thought he saw some other trainers by the detective—if he was interpreting those hazy spots correctly.

Mewtwo shook his head, frustrated. He was underestimating Giovanni—despite being a human, Giovanni was unrelenting and quite capable of constructing machines that could face off against him. The crime boss had proven that at Mt. Quena, where Mewtwo had almost _died. _Would have, if it weren't for Ash. He could not let his guard down around Team Rocket.

This shot wasn't as bad as the first one—it had hit his tail, so it didn't spread as well as it had when he had been shot in the chest. But still, his powers were like Magnemites scattered in his head, twisting and vibrating as they tried to reassemble themselves.

"Mewtwo? Mewtwo!" the detective was calling. His voice echoed in Mewtwo's brain like a Zubat's cry. "Can you hear me? Me—"

**_I can hear you, human, _**Mewtwo grumbled. He tried to lift his head and peer at the sky, in the direction he believed the ship was. But he could barely see. He could do nothing at the moment, but the father had to understand the urgency of the situation, that the child was in danger. **_The boy—your son—went on the ship. _**

"Tim went _where!?"_Mewtwo knew then how completely his powers had been disabled, because he should have been able to feel the emotion of the detective's panic just as he heard it in his voice. "Why would he do that?!"

Mewtwo turned his head to face the detective. **_Your son has been helping me search for my cells._**

"He's been helping you?" the detective repeated. Mewtwo's vision cleared enough to see the human's eyebrows wrinkle in confusion. "That's what he's been lying about?"

"Watch out!" a young trainer called and Mewtwo jerked his gaze away to see Agent Domino fast approaching them. She spun her staff in her hands and swung another black orb at them. Mewtwo bolted up, trying to get out of the way, but he knew he would be too slow. He was trying to gather the energy to use Protect again, when a Doublade slashed in front of them and used Furry Cutter on the energy ball. The Sword Pokémon shuddered as some of the energy dissipated onto it, leaving it unprepared as Agent Domino reached it. With two quick swipes of her staff, she beat the Pokémon to the ground.

"Pikachu, Iron Tail!" the detective ordered.

"Pika, Pikachu!" the Pokémon affirmed, and then charged at Agent Domino as she continued to advance. He swiped, and she met his blow, and then he twirled around and struck again, but again she countered him.

"Croagunk, help him out!" a little trainer commanded, and a handful of other trainers followed suit.

Mewtwo turned his attention away from the fight and turned back to look for the ship. He could not feel the boy with his mind like this, but he knew the child was getting further and further away. He needed to regain his strength to pursue, but he couldn't muster the focus. He turned his hazy sight across the airport, looking for the right shade of pink.

**_Audino,_**Mewtwo called across the psychic plain. **_I need you._**

The Pokémon heard him, and quickly trotted her way over. Mewtwo did not resist when she placed both of her lissome hands on his shoulder. Without further instruction, she emitted her healing aura. But at Mewtwo's call, several other Pokémon and trainers answered as well.

"Mewtwo needs help!" the trainer who owned Audino called out. "Who has Pokémon that know Heal Pulse?"

Most of the trainers were too busy commanding their Pokémon to respond, but a few did. One trainer released a little Ralts, a young one that didn't belong in a battle like this. The Lucario forced back the Tyranitar and ran to Mewtwo's aid, along with a drifting Chimecho. They gathered around Mewtwo and offered their strength; he tolerated the contact, and accepted the help. They put their hands and paws and foreheads on him and gave him their power together.

Closing his eyes to focus on the energy that flowed into him, Mewtwo felt his strength slowly start to come back, his powers lagging behind it. He gathered up as much as he could, knowing that with each second, there was less of a chance for him to save the boy.

There was a spike of alarm that was sharp enough for Mewtwo's still-muddled senses to pick up, and he opened his eyes to see Agent Domino's battle. Despite the unfair odds of a human battling Pokémon, Agent Domino shot the Croagunk with the tip of her staff, struck down a Monferno, and batted away the detective's Pikachu. As if they were no more than newborn bug-types, she swatted these Pokémon away and turned to face Mewtwo.

At his side, the Lucario growled. It removed its paws from Mewtwo and stepped forward defensively. Summoning Bone Rush to its hands, a glowing blue staff as long as Agent Domino's, it ran forward and clashed with her. But when Mewtwo saw her wicked smile, he knew she was about to play dirty. He watched as she ducked under Lucario's bone, flipped the Pokémon over her head, twirled around as he landed on his back, and then jabbed him with her staff's electric static tip. He cried out as black lightning spread through his body, and then fainted as she removed it.

**_Stand aside,_**Mewtwo commanded to the Pokémon gathered around him, and they obeyed. He rose, calling a Shadow Ball into his hands, and swung it at Agent Domino. She ducked and rolled to the side, before leaping up and charging at him, lifting her staff above her head to strike him. Mewtwo summoned his own twin swords and blocked her attack between them. He then twisted around, slipping past her defenses to swing his swords in a long arc at her legs. She backflipped into the air to avoid his blades, spinning around before she landed on her feet a safe distance away.

Mewtwo advanced, keeping the two energy swords in his grip. **_It was foolish of you to challenge me,_**he growled into her mind.

"If it weren't for all these trainers that came to help you, you would have lost this battle," Domino snapped back.

Mewtwo snarled, but her statement was true. While he could have handled the Tyranitar and the Dusknoir (eventually), her psychic-neutralizing weapon had caught him off guard. He would have lost, if the trainers hadn't come. That concept filled him with anger, shame, loathing, but also relief, gratitude, and wonder. He instinctively hated being rescued by humans…but it also amazed him that they _had_helped, and it was infinitely better that what might have happened if he had been caught.

Perhaps humanity wasn't quite as thoroughly evil as he had believed.

Agent Domino, a testament to humanity's indisputable rotten side, kept talking. "You aren't as strong as you say, Mewtwo."

Mewtwo would love to prove her wrong someday, but now was not the time. Not now when he was still weakened, and there was still much to be done.

**_Perhaps,_**Mewtwo acknowledged coldly, though not an ounce of truth in his admission. He waved an arm and gestured back to the battle, where the Tyranitar and the Dusknoir were forced to the ground by several determined little Pokémon, the two still snarling and trying to fight, but helpless against the righteous trainers. **_But neither are you._**

Agent Domino's face reddened with fury and humiliation. "Team Rocket _will_figure out a way to defeat you!" she shouted.

She charged, but Mewtwo met her blow, locking her staff between his two blades.

**_Your underestimate my power, and my intelligence. _**Mewtwo swung his tail around like a whip and batted her away. On impact, she went flying, tumbling on the concrete. As she scrambled back up, Mewtwo took a deep breath and shot Ice Beam at her feet. The ground was covered in glassy frost, and her boots became encased in ice. Agent Domino gasped, and quickly tried to use her staff to break the ice and free herself. But Mewtwo advanced, jabbed his swords forward, and twisted the tulip out of her grip. It spun in the air before he caught it in his grip, and then broke it in half, casting the two pieces aside.

She was caught. Now for the boy.

Mewtwo threw a glance at the detective. **_Handle her. I'll be back._**

And then he shot into the air once more. He didn't pause this time, but headed in the direction where he had seen the ship. He willed his powers to work and allow him to fly as fast as possible.

He had to get to the boy, or else he might lose him forever.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen: Tim

Tim's chance against the four Team Rocket agents was about a Caterpie's against a Dragonite. He had put up as much of a fight as he could, but after a punch to his gut and a kick on his knee, he'd known he had to give up before he got really hurt. He allowed one of them to hold his hands behind his back—telling himself that he was _letting_this happen, despite the fact that this agent was burly and tough and could squeeze him like an Happiny—while the other three peered at him suspiciously.

"This boy just showed up," the agent with the briefcase said. "He attacked Agent Domino and tried to take the cells. Mewtwo appeared right after him."

"_That's_an interesting coincidence," the only female agent said, a girl with dyed purple hair and lipstick to match it. She put her hands on her hips and leaned closer to Tim. "Know anything about Mewtwo, twerp?"

"Not a thing," Tim said calmly. He may be captured, but he had to keep it cool. Mewtwo was behind them, and Mewtwo's cells were here. The wrathful legendary Pokémon would be on them in seconds, and tear this ship out of the sky.

The agent who was holding his hands back shuffled through his pockets. Tim struggled, but couldn't escape the hold. "He doesn't have any Pokéballs!" the burly agent said, clearly frustrated. Tim grimaced as the thug tightened his grip on him.

The final agent, a Raticate-like man with beady eyes and a goatee beard that didn't suit him, stepped forward. "You just haven't found them—keep looking."

"He doesn't have any!" the big one insisted.

_Come on, Mewtwo, _Tim tried to speak across their bond. _It shouldn't take you so long to defeat those two Pokémon._

But there was no response. Tim wasn't sure if he was out of range, doing it wrong, or Mewtwo was too distracted to hear him.

The agent with the briefcase crossed his arms thoughtfully. "That city we just visited doesn't allow Pokéballs. They want Pokémon to be _free,_and be _friends_, and live in _harmony."_

All the agents scoffed at once.

"That's ridiculous," the girl said derisively. She sneered at Tim. "You said he attacked Agent Double-Oh-Nine by _himself?_Even if he doesn't have Pokéballs, where _is_his Pokémon?"

"I don't have one," Tim said, still trying to keep his voice calm and neutral.

"Don't lie to me," the girl snapped.

"I'm not," Tim shot back.

"You're a terrible fibber," the girl said sharply. "You'd be a horrible Team Rocket agent, because you can't lie."

"Good, because I don't want to be one."

Tim tried to hold the girl's glare, but she was a professional. Her harsh grey eyes bore into him, and he found his gaze sliding away. He was infuriated with himself for doing so, and was confounded as to why. He wasn't lying—he _didn't_have a partner. Right?

…Mewtwo would not be happy with him for hesitating to affirm that.

"Ah-ah-ah, I see," the girl sang, and she took his chin in her hand, forcing him to look up. "Bad liar, like I said. You've got a Pokémon, don't you? Where is it?"

Tim swallowed, and this time was _sure_to hold eye contact. "Not on me," he said, because that was easier than continuing to tell the truth and it seeming like a lie.

The girl narrowed her own eyes skeptically. A few tense moments passed.

"Is he lying?" the goatee man asked finally, losing patience.

"Hard to say…" she muttered slowly. "He might be trying too hard."

The agent with the briefcase sighed deeply and turned to the one holding Tim's arms. "You're sure there are no Pokéballs on him?"

"Yeah, I'm sure, I checked!" he said offendedly, clearly angered at being questioned so much.

"Then we'll just have to keep an eye on him," the briefcase agent decided. "We can't risk it. We'll lock him up when we return to base." With that, he turned away. The other three agents shoved Tim in a corner and firmly surrounded him.

"Don't even _think_about trying anything," the girl warned.

Tim actually didn't, but instead took the opportunity to look at his surroundings. The inside of the ship was dark, with only a few dim lights that only just provided enough illumination to see. Several boxes and carts were stuffed into the area, but there was a door with sunlight coming through right across from the ramp. Despite the fact that Tim knew two huge propellers were just outside, their noise was well-muffled.

The burly agent tilted his head at Tim. "This kid tried to take on Black Tulip?"

Tim took in a deep breath, preventing himself from pointing out that he was twenty-one. It would sound weak here anyway, but he was tired of everyone treating him like a child.

No one responded to the big agent, but he gave a toothy grin and shook his head. "He had _no idea_what he was getting into."

Tim fought down his annoyance; he'd never even heard of this 'Black Tulip' lady but these thugs knew her, and it seemed like Mewtwo knew her, too. How was Tim supposed to know he was taking on an indomitable crime boss?

"Must've wanted whatever's in that briefcase pretty bad," the girl said, hopping up on a box and crossing her legs.

"What do you want with our loot, twerp?" the goatee agent demanded.

Tim took a note from Mewtwo and allowed the quiet to be his only response. The three agents stared at him expectantly, but he did not take the bait.

The goatee agent 'hmphed.' "No fun," he muttered.

Silence took reign, and Tim continued to try to call for Mewtwo telepathically. _Mewtwo! I'm a little captured here. Lend a hand? Hellooooooo?_

Something must have delayed Mewtwo. Could he not respond because they were already out of range, or because he was fighting those Pokémon in the airport still? Either way, it seemed he wouldn't be coming to the rescue. But Tim had gone most of his life without a Pokémon and could figure this out on his own. He just needed a distraction, an opportunity, before he could make a move.

Eventually, the agent who had been holding the briefcase came back through the door. He no longer held it, and Tim silently cursed. He would have to find the cells, wherever they were. Mewtwo was taking his sweet time with this rescue.

"Pilots say we're in the clear; nobody's in pursuit," the agent said, walking over and leaning against a wall. "It'll be a couple hours before we make it back to Kanto."

_Kanto? _Tim thought. _The Kanto Region. Home of Team Rocket for ages. These people came all the way from there?_

The girl spoke again. "So we left Agent Double-Oh-Nine? What's she going to do?"

"She'll work it out," the lead agent responded. "She ordered me to go ahead with the cells. Whatever happens, I'm sure she'll handle it."

"Will the Boss be mad we left her behind?" the burly agent asked nervously.

Tim narrowed his eyes. Boss? Not Black Tulip, clearly. The leader of Team Rocket? People had been throwing around ideas of who that could be for years. Some claimed a red-haired kid named Steel or something like that, or a lady who went only by 'Madame' and cared about nothing but lucrative business, or a gym leader who had retired years ago. Mewtwo might know—but he hadn't said anything.

"He would've been mad if we hadn't gotten that case," the lead agent said firmly. "Agent Double-Oh-Nine knew that. That's why she wanted us to leave her. We just have to take the case back, and she'll handle herself."

The goatee agent leaned back. "So we get to relax."

The girl agent sighed sullenly and slumped forward. "Another long trip, right after we landed from the last. I was hoping to explore the city a bit, maybe pick a few pockets, or—"

_THUMP!_

The entire ship jerked like it had been hit by an Onix, tossing the crates and everyone else up into the air, landing with uncomfortable crashes. Tim went flying but landed on his back, quickly scrambling to his feet. He had one panicked moment where he wondered what was happening, before he realized that it _had_to be Mewtwo.

_They're in trouble now,_Tim thought smugly, unable to hold back his smile. He looked side to side; the agents were sprawled about the room, groaning. A crate had landed on the burly agent, and the girl was trying to shove the goatee agent off her. _This_was the perfect distraction.

Tim took the opportunity to bolt through the door. If Mewtwo was tearing the ship apart, it'd be a lot easier if Tim knew where the cells were. Through the opening there was a much brighter and more comfortable-looking room, filled with windows and monitors. Everything was either glass or screens or bright metal, the windows looking out on the endless open blue sky and puffy white clouds.

The ship lurched again, and Tim almost fell back through the door. He stumbled over to one of the seats and grabbed on to it tightly, turning his head side to side. He froze when he saw that the windows were cracked now, white streaks jagging through them in Spinarak-web patterns.

And there—_there_was Mewtwo, soaring next to the ship, his long tail flowing behind him and his eyes glowing blue with anger. As Tim watched, Mewtwo charged Shadow Ball in his hands and swung it at the ship, but this time the ship leaned to the side, practically horizontal to dodge. Tim clung to the chair for dear life, silently thanking that it was attached to the floor of the ship as his legs dangled across the air.

The craft righted itself with another lurch, and Tim took a solid second to firmly plant his feet on the floor. He looked up to the nose of the ship, and saw two seats at the front facing the large frontal windows. He could see black-capped heads poking out over the seats, facing away from him. Near them was a little Castform who was struggling to orient itself in the air as the ship swung side to side. It was in its Sunny Day form, its bulbous head was red and glasslike as it drifted unhappily about the compartment.

But Tim's eyes were soon drawn to the familiar black briefcase tucked securely against one of the pilot chairs. Trying not to draw the attention of the pilots or the Castform, Tim crept forward. But then there was another shot from Mewtwo that the ship swung to dodge. Tim was thrown off his feet and crashed against a monitor, cracking it in half, gasping in pain—that would leave a bruise in the morning.

One of the pilots turned his head and yelled over his shoulder, but his eyes were pinned to the viewing ahead. "WHAT ARE YOU LAZY SLAKOTHS DOING BACK THERE? AREN'T YOU GOING TO FIGHT BACK?"

Tim gulped, knowing he was running out of time. He ran forward and snatched up the briefcase, now determined not to let it go until he handed it over to Mewtwo.

One of the pilots noticed him. "Hey!" he tried to kick at Tim, but Tim scuttled back out of the way. He tried to make his way back toward the door, but the ship was rocking side to side like a confused Spinda. "Castform, get him!" the pilot cried.

"Cast-a!" the Pokémon agreed, rushing after Tim like a gust of wind. Tim ran for it, and nearly crashed into the four other Team Rocket agents who came barreling through the door. The goatee one swiped a hand at him but Tim ducked, dodging just in time as Castform used Hail and sent a blast of icy wind at them. The leader jumped forward to grab Tim but got hit full-force with the Hail. He cried out, and the other three quickly stepped forward to help him.

"Not me, you fools!" the leader howled, clutching his face as he wiped off the snow. "You two!" he spat at the girl and goatee-man, "Arm the cannons and _blast_that dumb clone out of the sky! You!" he pointed at the largest agent, "_Get that boy under control!"_

The two agents turned and quickly manned the chairs before the monitors, while the burly agent turned to face Tim. Tim scurried to avoid the big agent's grasp as he made a break for the exit, ducking under the Castform's Weather Ball. He ran back into the first room, almost tripping over upturned crates, before he reached the ramp. This ship was a limited area, and he didn't have much space to run. He had to get out, and without thinking, he pressed the button to open the ramp.

With the first cool gust of air, Tim realized how hopeless that thought process had been. The fresh, cold, thin air reached in and grabbed at him, pulling at his clothes and roaring in his ears. The sky stretched out in front of him in a colossal expanse, and the ocean loomed far, _far_below.

Mewtwo crossed the blue sky, and Tim could see him flying below. The clone looked up at him, and they made eye contact. Tim could _see_Mewtwo's expressive eyes thinking quickly, trying to figure out a way to rescue Tim from the ship. Tim was a bit stumped. Could Mewtwo carry him all the way back to land? How far out were they? Was there any way for them to catch the ship, just the two of them? Or was their only hope to escape? Should Tim just throw Mewtwo the briefcase now?

_"__GOTCHA!"_

The lead agent suddenly appeared behind Tim and snatched the briefcase. But Tim held onto it, and then tried to tug it back to him. The two of them wrestled, fighting for the case, struggling next to the precipice. Tim wasn't letting the case go—they had come so far and finally reached their goal.

An explosion burst forth just overhead as Mewtwo shot another Shadow Ball, trying to scare off the lead agent. It worked—but too well. The agent let go in alarm—

And Tim overbalanced.

And his foot slipped from the ramp.

And he began to fall.

His scream was torn away by the wind as he spun around wildly in freefall, clutching the case like a lifeline. This was it, this was how he was going to die. He had spent so many years being realistic, getting an adult job before he even finished high school and pushing away his Dad in an attempt to be independent. And yet, he had realized that it was his family, and his dreams, that gave him true happiness, and that was worth the world. How foolish he'd been, to not have seen that until just a few weeks ago, when a Pikachu had crashed into his life and drawn that hope out of him. That Pikachu that had been his father all along, sent to search for him by—

**_Human!_**

Tim shook his head. How long had he been falling, suspended in fear and feeling his life and regrets flash before his eyes? A mere second? An entire year? He looked up, his eyes watering from the stinging, cold air and filled with black spots of creeping unconsciousness, and saw the ship overhead, getting further and further away with each second. But closer, and trying to reach him, was Mewtwo, his three-fingered hand outstretched towards Tim.

Tim had curled himself into a tight ball, the briefcase pressed against his chest. He could see Mewtwo's wide, panicked eyes staring at his own, and Mewtwo was trying to get closer but they were falling at a rapid speed. Those purple eyes flickered blue as if they were trying to use his power but couldn't.

Tim wasn't dead yet, he realized. That thought cleared his head for a moment, and pushed away the black spots in his vision. He had help, and a friend, almost within reach. Tim lifted his own hand, stretching towards Mewtwo's. They were only a few feet apart, as Mewtwo sped forward even more, trying to get to him.

But Tim could feel himself starting to black out again. His hand faltered, going limp, while his other was still hooked in a death grip on the case. Mewtwo seemed to be getting further away now, instead of closer…

**_TIM!_**

Mewtwo's shout was filled with such sharp panic that Tim snapped awake again. He looked up at Mewtwo, who was now only a hair's breadth away from him.

Tim reached up and grabbed him.

At once Mewtwo's other hand joined the grip, and then jerked Tim up. Tim felt like his arm might be pulled out of its socket, but Mewtwo quickly shifted his hand to better support him, wrapping Tim's arm around his own shoulder. Mewtwo's long tail, surprisingly strong, wrapped around Tim's legs to bear some of his weight.

Then Mewtwo got very still, staring at him intently. Tim gasped for air, feeling his heart pounding like a Yanma's wings in his chest. He sucked in air, still light-headed. Mewtwo was quiet, waiting for him, suspending Tim firmly above the ocean, until Tim finally recovered enough to speak.

"Thank you," he said hoarsely.

Mewtwo's response was soft and quiet. **_I am just glad you are all right._**

Tim tried to manage a smile, and halfheartedly lifted the briefcase. "Got your cells."

Mewtwo stared at the cells for a long moment with an inscrutable expression. It was almost as if he had never seen the briefcase, or any briefcase, in his life. Finally his gaze flicked back to Tim. **_You almost died._**

Tim was grateful he hadn't eaten yet today, or else he might have thrown up just then. "Did I? I hadn't noticed," he said, trying to sound cheerful, but he was a bit too exhausted to make it work.

A long, slow breath came out from Mewtwo's nostrils. **_Your facetious attitude is not appropriate._**

"Facetious," Tim repeated curiously. He was way too panicked right now, and the only way he could think of to calm himself down was to distract himself. "What does that mean?"

Mewtwo began to move, flying in a direction Tim didn't bother to look at. **_It is when one treats a serious situation with deliberate humor, _**Mewtwo answered dryly.

"Yep, that's me right now," Tim agreed. He glanced over his shoulder at the ship that he had just fallen from. It seemed impossibly high now, and was getting further and further away, just a little speck in the sky. He looked back at Mewtwo. "You're letting them get away."

Mewtwo glanced at him, before turning his gaze back to look forward. **_I consider myself lucky to retrieve what I have._**

Tim almost wanted to argue; yes, they had the cells, but they didn't have all the culprits responsible. That was the entire point of them waiting for the ship to arrive, instead of just taking them from Dr. Drew the moment he came to the airport. But he was too exhausted, and _really_didn't want to get back on that ship ever again.

Tim was silent for a minute or so, letting himself calm down from his incredible fall. He didn't dare look down. But as his mind cleared, something occurred to him.

Mewtwo was _holding_him. The Pokémon who tensed if someone even got close to him, much less _touched_him, was supporting Tim and carrying him back to land.

"Why aren't you using your psychic powers to hold me?" Tim asked curiously.

Mewtwo's mouth thinned. When he spoke, his telepathic tone was spiteful. **_Agent Domino came prepared. She shot me with a weapon that has temporary disabled my psychic-type moves and abilities._**

Tim raised his eyebrows in alarm. "That's crazy! How did she do that?"

Mewtwo growled low in his throat. **_Giovanni can be quite prudent in regard to me. Over the years, he has constructed many weapons designed specifically to subdue me._**

Tim was lost. "Giovanni? Who's he?"

Mewtwo sighed deeply. **_The leader of Team Rocket, and the one who orchestrated my creation._**

_"__What?!"_Here was something he'd wished Mewtwo had told him sooner. Mewtwo's past was like an impossible puzzle, a timeline that Tim was struggling to put together. People had rumors about what Mewtwo was and where he'd come from, but little more than that. The first time he had ever been spotted was in the Kanto region, and most people believed he had been created by humans, possibly by one of the many crime organizations throughout the world. It seemed that team was none other than one of the most persistent of crime gangs, Team Rocket, and Mewtwo was more familiar with their inner ranks than he cared to admit.

Enough to know, without a doubt, that their elusive leader was called Giovanni.

"Team Rocket created you," Tim said slowly. "And Giovanni's after you?"

**_Was, _**Mewtwo corrected. **_Several years ago, I wiped his memory, and that of his agents._**Tim still didn't like Mewtwo's memory-wiping power, but in this case, Mewtwo got a solid pass for doing it. **_But it appears that my involuntary presence in human media has led him to investigate the matter._**

"That's how you know Agent Domino," Tim realized aloud.

**_Barely, _**Mewtwo admitted. **_I only encountered her once, when she threatened youngling Pokémon to keep me compliant._**

Tim stared at Mewtwo in shock, but the clone was deadly serious. "Charming," Tim muttered.

But odd to think that Mewtwo _would_become compliant, to save those baby Pokémon. Tim was starting to see that Mewtwo's indifferent attitude towards others really _was_just a farce, and slowly, Mewtwo was letting Tim see the truth. Tim didn't think Mewtwo would have admitted that when they first met.

Tim tried to imagine the creator of Mewtwo, someone so power-hungry that they would make such a powerful Pokémon and then unleash it on the world. Giovanni must have treated Mewtwo horribly for the clone to be as jaded and untrusting as he was now.

Then Tim felt them getting lower, and he realized there was ground underneath them now instead of water. Mewtwo was landing them on the concrete runway of the airport, and waiting for them—

Tim gasped at he saw at least three dozen trainers gathered around in a half-circle, waiting for him and Mewtwo. And right in the center of them, with an expression of concern that quickly morphed into relief, was Harry.

Tim's heart stuttered at the sight of his Dad, a horde of conflicting emotions rising up in his throat that made him sick all over again. Relief to see him again, guilt at the worry he had caused, nervousness at the situation, happiness that they were both all right. But would Harry be angry with him? How would Tim explain all this?

Tim decided that he wouldn't face that problem until the exact moment he had to, so he instead turned his thoughts to the trainers. "Mewtwo, all these trainers are seeing you—"

**_They helped me,_**Mewtwo interrupted. There was something odd in his tone, an underline of wonder or amazement that was hard to differentiate, but certainly there. **_Once my powers were neutralized, they stepped forward to defend me. _**Mewtwo turned his gaze to meet Tim's eyes. **_It seems you were right about trainers._**

Tim remembered trying to tell Mewtwo that trainers wanted to _help_Pokémon. Even then, he hadn't been sure Mewtwo had really believed him.

Tim found a smile crawling onto his face. Well, it seemed Mewtwo believed him now.

They landed, and Tim tried to work his shaky legs. Mewtwo held him steady, until Harry ran up to grab Tim in a fierce hug.

"Tim!" his Dad shouted, holding Tim tighter than a Bewear would. "Don't _scare_me like that!"

"Pi, Pika-pi!" Pikachu agreed, trying to squeeze his way between them.

"Sorry, Dad," Tim mumbled. "I…I really am."

Tim felt his Dad give a heavy sigh, and then draw back and cup Tim's face in his hand. "I'm just glad you're all right."

Tim nodded mutely, and then turned back to Mewtwo, who was watching them closely. The Pokémon didn't seem revolted to see the human who had captured him, but instead curious.

Tim held out the briefcase with his still-numb fingers. "Your cells."

Mewtwo's eyes dropped from Tim's to the case, and he slowly lifted a three-fingered hand. The orb tips glowed with psychic energy, and the case flicked blue as well. Tim could see that it was taking Mewtwo some effort, but the weight of the case soon left Tim's hands and levitated over to Mewtwo.

Mewtwo clenched his hand into a fist, and the case crumbled into a little ball. It spurted out a few puffs of smoke, like a little Koffing, and then the compact ball disintegrated into dust that blew away on the wind.

There was a sense of finality to it. The job was finally done.

**_Not quite yet, _**Mewtwo's soft voice echoed in the back of Tim's mind, and Tim realized Mewtwo was speaking through their bond. Tim was the only one who could hear him now. **_We're not finished yet, human._**

_The cells back home, _Tim realized. The ones his Dad had retrieved, and Tim had convinced Mewtwo not to take. Tim had promised that, eventually, the cells would be returned to their owner.

Silently, Tim nodded in understanding.

Breaking through the silence, one of the trainers stepped forward eagerly. "Can we battle you, Mewtwo?"

Tim looked back at them. All the kids were younger than him, as young as ten, or as old as seventeen or so. They all looked aspiringly at Mewtwo, hopeful for a battle with the most powerful Pokémon in the world.

But Tim saw Mewtwo's signs, slight as they were; his shoulders went stiff with tension, and his tail curled in just a little. Any slim trace of exhaustion vanished from his body language as he drew himself up to his usual imposing regality.

Before Mewtwo could rudely respond or flee, Tim stepped forward. "Listen, kids, Mewtwo's not interested in joining any teams, ok?" He was sure to lift his voice so they all could hear. "He's very grateful for your help, but he doesn't really want to battle. He just wants to be left alone. Can you all do that?"

Many of the kids looked disappointed, but they nodded in acceptance. A few smiled, still happy that they were seeing Mewtwo, being near Mewtwo.

Tim turned back to the clone, who was now looking at Tim like he had created a whole school of Wishiwashi from just one. Tim smiled friendlily, and Mewtwo's subtle expressions of fear vanished.

"We're sorry those bad guys attacked you," one of the younger trainers spoke up. She was so small, half Mewtwo's own height, and the clone looked down at her. His eyes flickered to the others, clearly untrusting, expecting a lie or a trap.

Tim found himself sad at the sight. _Can't you sense their genuineness, Mewtwo?_

Those eyes glanced to him for a brief moment. But then Mewtwo turned his attention to Harry.

**_The agents? Are they contained?_**

Harry pointed to the edge of the airport, where several other police officers were sternly containing the knocked-out Tyranitar and Dusknoir, a miserable-looking Dr. Drew, the other scowling agent, and an absolutely furious Agent Domino who glared daggers at Mewtwo. They all were being handcuffed and led off.

"We'll be sure little miss Sunflora over there gets her weed killer," Harry said dryly. Tim chuckled at the nickname, and even the edge of Mewtwo's mouth twitched upwards.

**_Then it is time for me to bid you farewell, _**Mewtwo said with a small bow. He looked at Tim for a moment, and then his gaze slid over to all the other trainers. After a second's hesitation, he addressed them. **_Your help was invaluable. You have my thanks._**

The trainers cheered, a conflicting chorus of 'You're welcomes!' and 'You're so cool!' They gasped in awe as Mewtwo shot up into the air, giving a quick loop as if to say goodbye, and then flew off, quickly vanishing as he sped high into the sky.

The trainers began to talk amongst themselves the moment Mewtwo was completely out of sight, chattering about how amazing he was and the battle they'd just won. Tim, however, was distracted when his Dad put a hand on his shoulder.

"Tim," Harry said, leaning in. His tone was light, but his eyes were terrifyingly serious. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

OOO

"So Mewtwo didn't let you tell me all this?" Harry asked again.

They were back at the apartment, sitting at the dinner table, surrounded by all the junk food they had, which Harry insisted they deserved after such a day. Tim's Dad was currently munching on cheese-cracker Golden Goldeen. He'd already eaten his way through the Slurpuff cakes and Spinda cookies.

"Mewtwo refused to work with you," Tim admitted reluctantly. "He thought you weren't trustworthy, after…"

"After I caught him," Harry said simply. Tim hesitantly nodded, and Harry sighed. "I can't say I blame him for that, but this whole situation might have gone a lot easier if I'd been there."

"I tried to tell him that," Tim said regretfully.

Pikachu, who had been watching each Goldeen cracker enter Harry's mouth, began to murmur softly to draw attention to himself. Harry frowned at him. "Ok, but this is the last one!" Harry warned, and threw Pikachu a cracker.

_"__Cha!" _Pikachu squealed, nibbling it up.

"So the Grass-Type Labs _did_have a tie with R, but it was just Dr. Drew," Harry said thoughtfully, redirecting his attention back to the topic. "But if Dr. Alexis and Dr. Richard were there when you saw Dr. Drew escape, why didn't they call the police?"

Tim grimaced. "Mewtwo apparently hypnotized them so that they wouldn't. He only told me about that later." Tim was cleverly avoiding the part of the story where the car had tumbled down a mountain, and then Mewtwo had torn it apart for kicks.

Harry took another handful of crackers and popped them into his mouth. "Dat's fee-py."

Tim nodded. "Yeah, it is."

Swallowing, Harry leaned back and looked at Tim seriously. "I'm not happy you didn't tell me about all this, Tim."

Tim sighed. "I wanted to, Dad, really I did—"

"I get why you didn't," Harry waved off. "But I was really worried about you. So look, just promise me that this was a one-time thing? If Mewtwo shows up at our doorstep again, you'll give me a heads up?"

Tim nodded immediately. "I promise."

Harry sighed in relief, melting into his chair. Pikachu crept forward and nudged Harry's hand on the table. Harry opened an eye. "I _said_that was the last one."

"Pika, pi…" Pikachu blinked his wide brown eyes imploringly, like a stray, starving Pichu.

Harry groaned in defeat and lifted another cracker. "Ok, but this time I _mean it."_

"Pi_ka_!" Pikachu jumped up to catch the cracker as Harry tossed it at him, and quickly gobbled it up.

Harry sat back up in his chair, and smiled at Tim. "Still, it's really cool you got to hang out with Mewtwo. Did he warm up to you?"

Tim thought of how Mewtwo had been at the beginning, insulting him, accusing Tim of trying to control him, refusing almost any offer of help… And then, promising to protect Tim at the laboratories, confiding to Tim about his nightmare, the insults becoming more humorous, and calling his name out as Tim fell.

Tim didn't think Mewtwo really _did_names with humans, maybe not even for Pokémon, but he'd take that one time for what it was worth.

"Yeah," Tim said softly. "He did."

Harry tilted his head sympathetically. "Sorry, kiddo. Even if Mewtwo likes you, I don't think he's partner material."

Tim knew where his Dad was coming from, knew he was probably right, but he couldn't help but entertain the thought. "No, I suppose not."

Harry reached over and took Tim's empty plate, starting to clean up. "We've had a rough day. Why don't you go get some rest, I'll clean up, and then tomorrow we'll head down to the station and start investigating that flower girl?"

"Sounds good," Tim said, stifling a yawn.

He got up and headed to his room, hearing his Dad shout, "No! You've had too much already! No more!" Tim smiled and shook his head.

He couldn't say he was too surprised when he opened his door and found Mewtwo waiting in his room. The clone was sitting on the beanbag Tim hadn't put away yet, and despite the bag's gracelessness, Mewtwo still managed to look as majestic as Regigigas upon its throne.

Tim realized he had completely forgotten that Mewtwo had promised to return. That was probably something he should have mentioned to his Dad. Still, Tim stepped inside and softly closed the door behind him—he'd tell Harry later, after Mewtwo had left.

**_Human, _**Mewtwo acknowledged with an inclination of his head, rising from his seat. **_I trust you have recovered from this morning's events?_**

"Getting there," Tim said, trying to squash down another yawn. He still had the bruises from when he'd been thrown about the cabin, but they would heal with time. "How about you? Has Domino's attack worn off yet?"

Mewtwo dipped his head in a nod. **_The effects had completely faded within an hour._**

"Good," Tim said firmly. He went over to his desk and sat down, the wheeled seat twisting at his weight. "At least it seems Team Rocket can't keep you down for long." Tim took a pen off his desk and began to fiddle with it. "It's bad that they could cripple you like that, though."

Mewtwo's voice was dark and quiet. **_Regrettable indeed. I count myself fortunate to have walked away free from that encounter, and to have been able to rescue you._**

"And get your cells," Tim reminded him. He _had_leapt from an aircraft mid-flight without a parachute to get those cells, after all. And Mewtwo had been after them this whole time, too. They were _fairly_important.

But wait…if Mewtwo wasn't mentioning them, then did that mean…? Tim set down the pen and tilted his head at the clone. "You cared more about rescuing me than getting your cells back, didn't you?"

Mewtwo's eyes lowered. **_Yes. When you were gone, and I was weakened, I feared I would not be able to free you. I know how brutal and indifferent Team Rocket can be._**

Tim smiled. "Thank you, Mewtwo." He leaned back, more than a little flattered. "Luckily I grabbed the cells anyway. Team Rocket didn't get them."

**_I have you, and those trainers who stepped in, to thank for that. _**Mewtwo nodded, and Tim beamed at him.**_I sense no more of my DNA across the city. All the other cells that Dr. Laurent stole from me have been destroyed._**

Tim's shoulders slumped a little. "Your cells are finally out of the wrong hands. So I just have to return the ones that my Dad found to you." Tim was trying to think of a way to sneak into his Dad's room and take them without Harry noticing, but then Mewtwo lifted the purple vial in his hands. Tim had no idea where the clone had been keeping it, but he didn't question the mysterious Pokémon.

**_I took the liberty of retrieving it myself, _**Mewtwo said simply.

Tim's mouth quirked in a smile. "Of course you did."

Tim watched as Mewtwo crushed the vial within his fist, its contents dissipating into the air, completely obliterated. He sighed, relieved. "You're free now." He deflated a little. "You don't have a reason to stay in Ryme City. I guess you're moving on then?"

Mewtwo's violet eyes, which had been watching his hand that had held the vial, flicked up to Tim's. There was a thoughtful pause, and then he spoke. **_I have explored this world for years, traversed across countless regions and terrains, and yet learned so little from my journeys._**

Mewtwo dropped his hand to his side and looked away, and Tim surprised to see the…_pain _on Mewtwo's face. **_I must admit that I am…_****frustrated****_, with my lack of results. But here, _**Mewtwo turned his gaze to Tim's window. It didn't provide much of a view, but the close, brick walls and Pokémon that freely navigated the narrow paths summed up Ryme City pretty well. **_Here, in just a few weeks, I have learned so much more without even intending to._**

Tim blinked several times, scarcely believing it. "What do you mean?"

**_I mean…I would like to stay here. At least for a little while longer. _**Mewtwo's mouth twitched up in a small smile. **_Try out a temporary purpose, as you suggested._**

"Here?" Tim repeated. "Here, as in, in the city? Or here, as in…in _my_home?" Tim tapped one foot on the ground to be clear.

Mewtwo's tail curled inwards. **_Here. Your home. If you will tolerate me._**He shifted a foot.**_I would hate to encroach on your residence._**

Tim felt a wide grin crawl over his face, and he waved a hand. "Encroach away." But then he became serious, wanting to make sure Mewtwo understood. "You would be welcome, Mewtwo."

Mewtwo didn't smile much, and when he did, they were small. But the one he gave Tim at that moment was the widest and most genuine Tim had ever seen on the Pokémon.

Mewtwo dipped in head. **_Thank you._**

Tim raised one eyebrow. "But we have to tell my Dad this time, understand?"

**_Very well._**

OOO

"Hey, Dad?"

Tim poked his head out of the hallway. His Dad was still cleaning up in the kitchen, while still nibbling Goldeen crackers and trying to resist Pikachu's begging.

"Tim?" Harry looked up from the plate. "What's wrong? Can't sleep? It's not even been half an hour."

"There's one more thing I wanted to tell you," Tim admitted.

Harry set the plate aside and wiped his hands on a nearby towel. But the towel was small and didn't do a great job, so Harry leaned over and instead pet Pikachu to dry them. Pikachu huffed, but seemed to be used to it.

"What's up?" Harry said, leaning forward against the counter.

Tim, who wanted to be sure he did this right, went and sat at the table again. "Sit down," he told his Dad.

Harry narrowed his eyes suspiciously, and did as Tim asked. Tim could see his Dad was trying to read him, but Tim leaned back comfortably, as if he had all the time in the world.

His Dad sat, and waited expectantly. "Soooooo?"

"Well…" Tim paused, mulling over exactly how to break to his Dad that they were about to have a new roommate. "So, you know how you told me I needed to get a Pokémon partner?"

Harry cocked his head to the side. "Yeah? Do you have a new idea?"

"I've already found one," Tim said.

Pikachu's ears shot up with interest, and his eyes widened. Clearly, the little Pokémon was eager for a new friend, and curious about what they would be.

Harry looked excited as well. "Really?" He leaned forward. "Do tell."

"It'd be better if I _showed," _Tim said slyly, and then turned in his chair and called down the hallway. "Mewtwo, you can come in now!"

Harry's face was _priceless_as Mewtwo swept into the room like the wind, sliding over to Tim's side. Mewtwo looked down upon Harry as if the clone were one of the legendary Creation Trio descended from his realm. Harry gaped openly in utter shock; Tim was sure that if his Dad had been standing, he would have fallen to the floor. As it was, Harry got a little lopsided on the chair. Pikachu, too, sat back on his back legs and gaped in confused bewilderment.

"Dad," Tim said teasingly. "It's really not _that_big of a deal. We just saw Mewtwo this morning, after all."

Harry was breathing so heavily it was almost a wheeze. "Hah…ugh….Ti…._Tim,"_Harry managed to get out. "You're saying…that M—…Me—…_Mewtwo—"_Harry finally coughed out the word "—is _staying with us?"_

Tim felt Mewtwo shift his tail behind him, wanting to say something, but the clone remained quiet, letting Tim handle this. Tim grinned. "Yeah. If that's okay?"

Harry didn't even seem to have heard him. He lifted both of his hands to his forehead. "Explain this to me, Tim," Harry said, voice muffled through his hands. "Mewtwo—the most powerful Pokémon in the world, the manmade miracle of science, the genetically engineered clone created by some of the greatest minds to ever walk the earth, built to be a weapon for a nefarious criminal gang, who has superior intelligence by the standards of both people _and _Pokémon, who detests human beings almost to the point of _loathing_them…has agreed to be your Pokémon partner?"

Tim looked back at Mewtwo, who seemed to be contemplating all the titles he had just been given. At least he wasn't insulted by any of them.

Tim looked back at his Dad. "Is there another Mewtwo?"

_"__Is there?!"_Harry shouted back seriously. "Because I honest-to-Goodra cannot understand how in the _Distortion World_this could be happening. Is this _really_the same Mewtwo?"

**_I assure you, detective, _**Mewtwo said dryly, a hint of mockery in his voice. **_It is I._**

At that moment Pikachu recovered enough to take a half-step forward. "Pi, Pika? Pikachu?"

Mewtwo's attention shifted to the Mouse Pokémon, and he inclined his head. **_Indeed, you are correct. Not all humans are bad. Some are even…trustworthy._**

Pikachu gave a tentative smile.

"Are we _sure_this is Mewtwo?!" demanded Harry. _"How!?"_

"I told you the story, Dad," Tim sighed. "Mewtwo and I have been working together. And while at first, we barely trusted each other, we've learned to. We've been through so much together…" Tim trailed off, for a moment doubting that Mewtwo agreed with everything he was saying. But the clone was watching him, his sharp purple eyes pinned on him raptly. Tim realized that though Mewtwo probably wouldn't say such things aloud…but he might not deny them. Tim swallowed. "Mewtwo likes the city, liked chasing bad guys, and likes me. He wants to stay here in the city, here with us. At least for a little while. And…" Tim cleared his throat. "I want him to. So…?"

Harry stared at Tim blankly, and Tim wondered if any of his words were getting through. Pikachu shuffled nervously.

Eventually Harry's eyes trailed up to Mewtwo. Mewtwo stared down at him, appearing indifferent. But his clenched fists suggested otherwise.

When Harry eventually spoke, it was slowly, as if he feared Mewtwo was an Electrode that might use Self-Destruct at any moment. "Tim…" he began. "This Pokémon…he's powerful, no doubt, and intelligent, obviously, but he's also…_dangerous." _

Mewtwo narrowed his eyes but did not dispute that fact. So Harry went on. "Even without all the stories Howard Clifford told me, there are plenty of reports of Mewtwo's—err—_aggressive_nature. Are you sure this is the right place for him? A city full of humans, which he hates? _Living_with humans?"

Tim opened his mouth, but Mewtwo cut him off. **_You forget, detective, that this is _****my****_decision as well._**The clone stepped around Tim's chair to better face Harry, getting closer. To Harry's credit, he didn't flinch or cower, but he did straighten up as if prepared to move. **_I am dangerous. I will never deny that truth, in fact, I will likely remind of it. But I assure you, that I am not as sanguinary as I once was. My seclusion from others is a testament to that. Most of the people and Pokémon I have harmed in recent years either attacked me first, or _****truly****_deserved it. Otherwise I let them be. Do you not recall, when we first met?_**

Harry became a little pale. "When I captured you."

**_Before that,_**Mewtwo said, his voice getting softer. **_When you first tracked me in the mountains. I _****could have****_attacked you. I_****could have****_harmed you. It would have been easy, hardly have taken me any effort. But I did not._**

It was at that point Tim realized two pieces of separate stories that didn't match up. Mewtwo had told him that when he encountered a human, he wiped that human's memory of him. But his Dad had said that when he'd met Mewtwo, Mewtwo had only watched him. The clone hadn't attacked or broken into his mind; and when Mewtwo _had_been attacked by Harry, he had only tried to flee.

"Why didn't you?" Harry whispered.

Mewtwo was still, but his eyes briefly flickered to Pikachu on the table. The yellow Pokémon was watching the exchange fearfully. Tim didn't understand it; what had Pikachu done, that made Mewtwo hold back? Surely there had been other trainers he had met with Pokémon? Had Pikachu convinced him, somehow?

Mewtwo's eyes went back to Harry's, and then, to both Harry and Tim's astonishment, true _remorse_came onto his face.

**_Because I want to _****grow,**Mewtwo said. **_Because I am tired of being alone, of fighting for my life and my right to live, of being separate from the world. I want to learn, to have a purpose, a direction. When we met, I wanted to do something different. _**His voice became hushed. **_And then you caught me, and sent me back to the laboratories that I abhor. So I regretted trying to change, trying to be better. _**He leaned in a little closer. **_Was I right to do so?_**

The silence was immense, and impossible, as they were in a city of endless noise. But still, somehow Tim could hear nothing but what Mewtwo and Harry were currently speaking, and in this pause that went on for an eternity, Tim wondered if he had gone deaf.

"Mewtwo," Harry said finally. "I am _so sorry_for what I did to you. I should have looked more into it before handing you over to Howard Clifford. What you went through…was my fault."

Mewtwo's face did not even twitch at Harry's apology. It remained as hard and as still as a Zen Darmanitan. **_You will never do such an action again? _**Mewtwo inquired, sounding impassive.

Harry shook his head firmly.

Mewtwo straightened back up, standing tall, his eyes finally losing some of their harsh coldness. **_Then it seems we both wish to improve ourselves. _**His gaze slid over to Tim. **_And it also appears that your son wishes to assist us both as well. _**He looked back at Harry. **_I am willing to forgive the mistakes of the past, and let you better yourself. Will you let _****me?**

Tim sucked in a breath. Throughout the whole time he'd known Mewtwo, Mewtwo had firmly drilled into his that no one _'let'_him do anything. No one controlled Mewtwo, no one ordered him around, and no one could stop him if he wanted to do something. But right now…

"You'll leave if my Dad says so?" Tim whispered, hardly believing it. If Harry didn't want Mewtwo to stay…then Mewtwo would honor that?

Now Tim found himself on Harry's side. _Was_there another Mewtwo?

The clone—one of a kind, truly—shifted his gaze to Tim. After a moment of consideration, he spoke.**_I have come to recognize the bond between you and your father,_**the legendary said. **_I have no wish to be a divide between you._**

His eyes shifted back to Harry. **_Your decision?_**

Harry and Mewtwo had a small stare down. Mewtwo crossed his arms and regarded the detective, whose face scrounged up in hard thought.

Finally, Harry turned to look at Tim. "This Pokémon should be a _lawyer."_

The tension broke like shattered glass.

Mewtwo raised one eyebrow ridge. A laugh, built up from his anxiousness, burst out of Tim's mouth, and he hastily slapped his hand over his face to hold in the remaining nervous giggles.

"I mean it," his Dad insisted, though his lopsided smile clearly said he was teasing. "That was impressive. You could move a champion with an appeal like that."

Mewtwo huffed. **_I suppose I have picked up a thing or two from your son's many arguments._**

The thought that Mewtwo had learned _anything_from Tim was a little heady.

"Really," Harry drawled, still with that smile. "Well then, since you two have gotten so close…_I guess_you have to stay, then."

"Pi, Pika-chu!" Pikachu cried cheerfully, running a lap around the table with glee. Mewtwo's tense shoulders eased a little, and Tim beamed.

"Thank you, Dad," he said earnestly.

Harry's smile became a little more strained, and he reached out and nestled his hand between Pikachu's ears. "I'm glad you two are so excited," Harry offered. "But there's still something that worries me."

Tim tilted his head inquiringly, and his Dad sighed. "I'm amazed you managed to keep Mewtwo secret from me for so long…but do you really think you can keep doing so from everyone else?"

Tim's smile slipped a little. His Dad was right; Mewtwo adamantly wanted to remain secret, keeping apart from most humans. Even if Mewtwo still only went out at night, he would undoubtedly still be spotted, and thus pursued.

And yet…

"I know this city," Tim said steadily. "I may have only been here for a few weeks, but I know it. Here, Pokémon aren't caught; they walk free, make their own choices, and partner with humans only if they chose to do so. I know that Mewtwo will struggle to live anywhere near humans, but…" Tim mustered a smile. "I believe that this is the best possible city he could be in. Here, most people won't try to catch him." He shrugged. "People will be shocked for a bit, but he'll just become everyone's new neighbor."

"Our friendly neighborhood Mewtwo," Harry tried out dryly. "Sounds like a kids movie about an Ariados-teenager, or maybe a Snorlax. All right." He leaned back. "I suppose you did give those trainers a speech about leaving him alone. And we _are_detectives." A wicked grin crossed Harry's face. "If anyone bothers Mewtwo, we can just arrest them!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu leapt eagerly in agreement.

Mewtwo tilted his head at Tim. **_In that case, perhaps this city _****is****_the best place for me._**

Harry's beam grew wider, getting _really_excited now. "We should get Mewtwo a restraining order on all humans! With us as exceptions, of course."

Tim looked at him flatly. "Dad."

"Right, right," Harry nodded. He turned to Mewtwo, who seemed to be debating on whether or not he wanted to ask about restraining orders. "So, just to be clear…you're Tim's partner now?"

Mewtwo's eyes narrowed a small fraction. They flickered over to Tim briefly. **_Emphasis on partner, _**he ground out slowly. **_We stand as equals. _**Mewtwo's voice then darkened to a deadly degree, and Tim could have sworn that a wave of electricity came into the air. **_Correct?_**

"Of course!" Tim hurried agreed, putting up his hands pacifyingly. He wasn't exactly sure what the background information was, but he knew that if Mewtwo thought he was being treated unfairly, he would leave. "I promise you, Mewtwo."

At that, Mewtwo relaxed considerably.

"Soooooo," Harry interjected into the awkward tension, redirecting the subject. "You want to be a _detective,_then?"

A sense of dread entered Tim's stomach. Harry was quite proud of his profession, and did it _his_way. When Tim had decided to try it out…

Mewtwo, casting off Harry's strange probing as the human's usual behavior, answered seriously. **_Catching immoral humans seems to be a fair and useful pastime. _**A pause, and then he admitted, **_And it is also quite satisfying._**

Harry's smile was starting to reach standards of _deranged._"Well, if you're going to be living here, _and_detectiving with us—"

"Detectiving's not a word, Dad—"

"—_DE-TEC-TIV-ING_WITH US," Harry continued louder, "Then we better start the initiation process!"

Tim groaned and put his head in his hands mournfully. He couldn't _believe_his Dad wanted to put _Mewtwo_through this, just as he had put _Tim_through this.

**_Initiation? _**Mewtwo repeated, confused.

Harry slapped his hands down on the table, and Pikachu wagged his thunderbolt tail with joy. "We're going to binge detective movies all night!" He lifted and waved a finger in the air, declaring his 'initiation' with tremendous enthusiasm. "And I'll quiz you on the law, and we're gonna chug coffee, and possibly electrocute something by the end of the night!"

Mewtwo raised one eyebrow. **_Your behavior is…superfluous._**

"It _is_super, Mewtwo, exactly!" Harry nodded eagerly.

"Dad," Tim said pleadingly.

"Come on, Tim, this'll be fun," Harry waved him off. "You know, I think Mewtwo living here may turn out all right after all…I can feel it in my jellies."


	20. Epilog

Epilog

Cheers. A battlefield. Darkness broken by bright lights. It was that dream again. Tim was walking out into the arena, the crowd surrounding him and screaming with excitement. Another trainer waited on the other end, holding a Pokéball that glinted in the light. The trainer tossed it out, but Tim's eyes weren't on his opponent's Pokémon. He was holding no Pokéball. But when he called, Mewtwo descended to the arena, silencing the crowd with his mere presence, drawing more awe and admiration than any champion could ever earn.

But it wasn't the admiration of the crowd that Tim savored. It was the teamwork, the bond, the understanding between them. The journey that they travelled together, coming so far, and yet, still could go further.

**_Tim._**

Tim jumped awake, blinking in the sunlight, and his body strongly informed him that it did _not_want to get up yet. Tim flopped back onto his bed, blinking hazily. When his vision cleared, he saw that Mewtwo was standing beside his bed, staring down at him with bright, intelligent purple eyes.

**_You father is awake,_**Mewtwo told him. **_It is best that you get up now._**

"Right," Tim mumbled, shuffling back under the blankets and letting his eyes slide closed again.

Despite not seeing it, Tim got the distinct feeling of Mewtwo rolling his eyes. He heard the door flick open across the room, and then Mewtwo's footsteps as he walked across the floor.

Tim felt like only one second had passed in which he got to go back to sleep, but then he heard Mewtwo's voice in his head again.

**_Tim. You will be late to the station._**

"I'm getting up, I'm getting up," Tim responded aloud. He pushed off his blankets and struggled to get ready. They had stayed up too late last night, even though they didn't have to be at the station until later today. Mewtwo had been surprisingly intrigued by detective movies, and had managed to figure out who the killer was before the end in all three of the films they had watched. He had turned down coffee after one sniff, but had decided to help Pikachu pop the popcorn. He hadn't burned it at all.

When Tim walked into the kitchen, Mewtwo was watching Harry cook with attentive interest. Tim wondered if Mewtwo had ever cooked before. With the way Mewtwo was watching the process, they might get an experimental meal sometime soon.

"Morning, sport," Harry said, flipping the pancake. "I thought I would have to wake you up." Tim shot a pointed look at Mewtwo, who might have smiled. It was difficult to tell when Mewtwo lowered his head, hiding his mouth.

Tim sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I think I'll have some of your coffee this morning," he muttered. Tim generally didn't like coffee. Since moving in with his Dad, he had tried to avoid it. Occasionally he had one small cup, but he still didn't drink nearly as much as Harry did.

_"Now_you're thinking like a detective," Harry said proudly.

"Pi, Pikachu!" Pikachu welcomed.

Tim slid into his seat, and Pikachu hopped onto the table. "Pikachu?" the Pokémon asked curiously, tilting his head and blinking his wide brown eyes. Tim just smiled and scratched him under the chin.

Mewtwo, still standing by the counter to watch the pancakes, looked over his shoulder back at them. **_Pikachu is wondering if you may be sick, _**Mewtwo translated. Then, to Pikachu, he said, **_The boy is fine. Only tired._**

Tim's smile widened, touched by Pikachu's concern. "It's just taking me a little while to wake up, Pikachu." Pikachu relaxed and leaned into Tim's hand as he petted him.

Tim looked up at his Dad as he flipped another pancake. "Dad, they look done. You're going to burn them."

"I am _not," _Harry objected. "They will be as flawless as Reshiram."

"More like _Zekrom,"_Tim shot back.

"Very funny," Harry grumbled. He flipped a pancake, but as it went into the air, the pancake flung itself across the room. A plate from the cupboard leapt up by itself and followed after the pancake, landing before Tim just before the pancake did. It took Tim a solid three seconds to remember that there was a psychic in the room.

"Thanks, Mewtwo," Tim said cheerfully.

"Cheater," Harry accused, but with no venom. Tim didn't start to eat his pancake, waiting for Harry to finish cooking his. At some point Mewtwo summoned his own pancake and Pikachu's from the pan, placing them on the table as well. The clone stayed put, though, watching as Harry roasted the final pancake.

Finally Harry was satisfied with Flamethrower-ing his breakfast, and went to the table, Mewtwo following suit.

All seated and with food before them, Harry waved a fork. _"Bon appetit,"_Harry sang, and then they dug in.

Tim cut into his pancake and, embarrassingly, found it was quite underdone. It was _actually_as white as Reshiram. While the edges were edible, the center held uncooked batter. Tim frowned; he had been sure it was done. Trying to placate himself, he looked up at his Dad for comparison. Harry was trying to keep his face from screwing up in disgust at the bite he had just taken, but his eyes watered. His pancake was almost completely black.

Harry noticed Tim watching and forced a smile. "Mine's great! Yours?"

Tim smiled affectionately and cut out a piece from the center of his pancake. He lifted the wet, floppy dough with his fork. "Perfect," he offered.

Then they both burst out laughing.

When Tim calmed down, he noticed Mewtwo had only taken one bite of his pancake, having stopped to watch the two of them. Pikachu, on the other hand, had gobbled his right up.

"How's yours, Mewtwo?" Tim asked.

Mewtwo wordlessly pushed his plate to the center of the table for display.

…It was absolutely flawless. The color was practically _gold,_it was impeccably round, even the cut where Mewtwo had taken a bite was symmetrical.

Both Tim and Harry stared at it in awe. A professional chief couldn't have made a more perfect pancake.

"Holy Miltank," Harry muttered.

"Mewtwo," Tim said wonderingly. "Is there nothing you can't do?"

Mewtwo scoffed. **_Of course there is, _**the clone said. Then a little smile came onto his lips. **_But very little._**The clone lifted a hand, and then his pancake floated up off his plate. It split itself directly down the center, and each half flew to Tim's and Harry's plates. Mewtwo then stood up and strolled to the kitchen. **_I shall make more._**

Tim straightened up. "You don't have to do that, Mewtwo." But Mewtwo was already focused on his work. Batter, eggs, oil, and milk floated their way into a bowl, mixing themselves together while Mewtwo inspected the stove.

Harry looked skeptical as well, but he looked back at Tim and shrugged. "If he wants to, let him." Harry then leaned back. "Tim. I think it's a bad sign that neither of us is the best cook in this apartment. Let's agree never to tell anyone."

Tim nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"Pika-_chu,"_the little Pokémon muttered.

Tim began to dig into Mewtwo's pancake, but hadn't taken one bite before Harry slid the day's newspaper over to him. Tim dropped his fork at the title; _'Mewtwo Returns! A LEGENDARY Story.'_

Well, it wasn't nearly as bad as _'Mewtwo's Attraction,'_but Lucy had sure been quick on picking up this story. Tim may had given her a heads up, but a quick skim of the paper showed a lot of research and details. But still…it'd be better if Mewtwo didn't see this. Exchanging a look with his Dad, Tim flipped over the paper so the front page wasn't visible, turning to the comics section instead. Harry took an innocent sip of his coffee.

Strikingly fast, Mewtwo had found the perfect balance of heat for the burner, and cooked up four more perfect pancakes. Tim and Harry had just finished the halves Mewtwo had given them when full ones landed on their plates.

"Thank you, Mewtwo," Tim said earnestly. The clone merely inclined his head, telepathically maneuvering the silverware to eat. He couldn't use his orbed fingers, of course.

"Five out of five stars, Mewtwo," Harry offered, pouring on some syrup, berry jam, peanut butter, Honeycomb Honey, _and_Fresh Cream onto his plate. "You should start a restaurant."

"They're the best pancakes I've ever had," Tim praised. "Where did you learn to cook?"

Mewtwo didn't look up, but circled his hand in the air to twirl the tea he had found. Tim hadn't even known his Dad _had_tea…or had ever drunk it. **_Here and there,_**Mewtwo answered vaguely.

Harry noticed the tea, too. "Oh, be careful with that," he warned. "That tea was a gift…from, like, _years_ago. It was from someone who wanted me to back off the coffee." Harry snorted. "As _if."_He took a long, savory sip from his mug. It said, _'World's Best Pika-Dad.'_

**_It is fine, _**Mewtwo said, taking a taste.

Tim frowned. "We'll buy you some more next time we go shopping."

Harry leaned forward. "_I'm_more curious as to where you, an anti-social superior Pokémon, learned to _cook."_He smiled at Tim. "Sounds like a mystery for two world-class detectives."

Tim smiled back, but he no idea where to even start. His Dad often instructed him to look at the facts first, and then start stringing them together. "Mewtwo has told me that although he doesn't like _people,_he's fine with human environments."

"Hmmmm," Harry lifted a finger to tap his chin. "Did you ever find an abandoned cottage in the woods that you investigated?"

Mewtwo was watching them with interest, as if curious if they could figure this out, or even amused. **_Anywhere that might have humans, I tended to avoid, _**Mewtwo said shortly.

"Did you watch campers?" Tim asked.

Mewtwo shook his head no.

"Pika-Pikachu?" Pikachu joined in.

Mewtwo inclined his head to the little Pokémon. **_Fair guess, although wild Pokémon rarely let me come close. Even if they did, there is little I could have learned from them._**

Tim gave his Dad an apologetic look. "I'm stumped."

Harry huffed and leaned forward, his elbows on the table. "Have you just always had a secret culinary wish, Mewtwo?"

Mewtwo stared at him dully. **_Have you always had a secret wish to be a comedian? Because I can assure you, you have no hope._**

Harry lifted a hand to his chest in mock-hurt. _"Ow."_

Tim snickered, wondering if this is what it would always be like.

**_I suppose I should indulge you, lest you come to false conclusions,_**Mewtwo said casually, ignoring how Harry still looked mortally offended. **_Shortly after my creation, there was a human nurse who I lived with for some time. I had her teach me many things…_**Mewtwo's eyes became unfocused, briefly, in memories that seemed to cause him pain. Tim tilted his head, wondering what _this_meant to Mewtwo. **_Proper food preparation was among them. I have kept up with practicing the skill since._**

"Huh," Tim said. He realized that Mewtwo had almost certainly erased the memory of this nurse, whoever she was. But he didn't quite feel like breaking that to his Dad at the moment, so he kept quiet about it. "I'm surprised you bothered with it," Tim said instead.

Mewtwo paused, hand hovering mid-psychic stir over his mug. **_I may not need as much nourishment as people or Pokémon, _**he said slowly, **_but when I do require it…I prefer sophisticated tastes._**

"HA!" Harry barked. "Mewtwo's a foodie! Who knew?"

Tim smiled back at his Dad. "Guess we didn't have all the facts."

Harry smothered his giggles as Mewtwo leveled a glare at him. "Can't catch 'em all."

They finished breakfast, and Tim and his Dad insisted they clean up since Mewtwo had cooked for them. They tossed out Harry's failed attempts, while they listened to Mewtwo have a funny conversation with Pikachu.

**_Of course not all humans are bad, I had merely meant that _most_humans are bad, _**the clone said patiently to Pikachu.

"Pi, Pikachu!"

**_Yes, I'm coming to see that as well. Do not get too arrogant, Electric Mouse._**

"Pikachu. Pika, pi."

**_You did _not_defeat me. I clearly remember holding you several stories above the ground. Any hits you had managed to get in were only because of Howard Clifford's incompetence. I _do not_lose battles._**

"Pika!"

**_Human technology is not the same as battle. I would like to see _you_face off against those machines._**

"Pikachu…"

**_…Fine. I suppose I will admit that, among Pikachus, you are _fairly_strong._**

"Pikachu!"

**_I've met stronger ones, however._**

_"PI!"_

Tim was distracted from listening in when Harry's phone buzzed. Harry turned in a confused circle for a moment, his hands soapy but Pikachu was across the room. Then taking Tim completely by surprise, Harry reached over and wiped his hands on his shirt.

"HEY!" Tim barked in alarm, backing up hurriedly. "Use your own shirt!"

"Shush, Tim, I'm in a call," his Dad waved off, answering his phone. "Goodman here," his Dad spoke into it as Tim tried to smooth out his shirt and remove the bubble before it got too soaked. "Yeah, I know we're late, I just got distracted…" he trailed off.

Tim paused, watching his Dad's eyes widen with worry.

_"What!?"_Harry shouted, making Tim jump and Mewtwo and Pikachu look up.

"What is it?" Tim demanded, but Harry held up his hand for silence.

"You're kidding—seriously?" Harry demanded into the phone. Another short pause. "I'm on my way." He then turned off the phone and rounded on Tim, looking almost fearful. "Domino's escaped. And that other agent with her."

Tim winced and looked over to Mewtwo, expecting the clone to look angry and to spitefully declare the ineptitude of humans. But Mewtwo seemed more relaxed than any of them. **_I do not find that surprising._**

"It gets worse," Harry groaned. "It seems Domino…freed Ms. Norman."

"The _Ditto?"_Tim cried.

Harry paced over to the wall and grabbed his jacket. "They're both out there. But if we hurry, maybe we can still follow their trail and find them."

Tim looked over to Mewtwo. "Do you think you can track them psychically?"

**_I do not know their minds,_**Mewtwo said. **_Their psyches are no different to me than all the other humans and Pokémon in this city._**

"We still could really use your help on this one, Mewtwo," Harry said, now hopping up and down to get his shoe on. "Those two agents were our only lead on Team Rocket. And that Ditto is _dangerous."_

**_I am sure my abilities will be quite useful in tracking them, _**Mewtwo said with a nod. **_I have no intention of letting them walk free._**

"Then consider this your first case," Tim said. As bad as the situation was, he couldn't help lightening up a little at that prospect. Mewtwo paused to look at him considerably, absorbing that idea.

"We gotta move, Tim," Harry said, scooping up Pikachu and nabbing his car keys. "Mewtwo, follow us best you can."

Tim hurried back to his own room to grab a shirt—he'd change in the car—and followed his Dad out the door, glancing behind as Mewtwo headed for the window.

When he'd come to the city, he'd found a lot of unexpected things. His Dad as a Pikachu, his own excitement to be a detective, and a manmade legendary Pokémon. Now, it appeared he had his Dad, and his own Pokémon partner, at his side.

_Outside Ryme City…_

"What a week," Dr. Richard muttered spitefully. "We get investigated by some nobody 'detectives.' Dr. Drew up and abandons us, taking several Pokémon we were studying along with him. And now, Ryme City is in a panic, _again,_making it harder for us to sell our medicine. Just when they had started recovering from the fiasco with Clifford."

"No use complaining," Dr. Alexis said cheerfully. They both were in the lab, examining a Lilligant's petals. With cautious, gloved fingers, Dr. Alexis lifted its stamen to observe. "What's done is done. We just have to make do."

Dr. Richard sent her a withering look that could have wilted the Lilligant's delicate flower if he wasn't careful. Dr. Alexis ignored it, as well as his biting tone. "You are naïve. You clearly don't understand what's at stake."

Dr. Alexis chuckled softly. "You forget, Peter, that this technically _my_research laboratory." She smiled at him kindly. "I know what I'm doing."

He snorted, but didn't have a response to that. Taking his silence as a victory, Dr. Alexis gave the Lilligant an affectionate pat and began to take off her gloves. "Speaking of which, I have to head back to my office. Keep up the work here."

Dr. Richard did not bid her goodbye or even look up as she walked out. She rolled her eyes to herself once she was out of the room, and headed down the hall to her office.

Inside, she took a moment to stretch. As much as she put up a cheerful face for Dr. Richard, it _had_been a stressful week. It had taken a toll on her, but not for the reasons he thought.

Cracking out the knocks in her neck, Dr. Alexis went to the Lileep lamp in one corner of the room. Reaching her hand into its 'mouth,' she pulled out a small, black flash drive, with a red _R_printed on its front.

She returned to her desk, opened her laptop, and plugged the drive in. It took a moment for the laptop to boot up, but once it did, she was met with an intimidating face that immediately made her steel her own.

"Dr. Patricia Alexis," Giovanni greeted coldly. "Much has happened."

"Yes, indeed, sir," Dr. Alexis nodded her head. "Agent Domino passed through just a few hours ago. As planned, she met me out on the reserve, so no one saw us. She wanted me to notify you that she should be able to contact you in the next town, which she will hopefully reach by the end of the day."

Some of the crime boss's frigidness thawed, though he was still as cold as Kyurem. "Very good," Giovanni inclined his head in approval.

"I was also to let you know," Dr. Alexis continued, "That she picked up something at the police station." Dr. Alexis bit the inside of her cheek. "A Ditto, sir—one she believes will be quite useful. She kept it with her."

"I am familiar with the species." Giovanni's eyes narrowed. "But she did not have any of the chemical?"

Off-screen, under her desk, Dr. Alexis wrung her hands. "No, sir. It appears Dr. Drew was followed when he went for the transfer." She swallowed. "Agent Domino told me that she gave the chemicals to her other agents, but saw that they were retrieved and destroyed." Dr. Alexis swallowed. "She said…she said it was Mewtwo, sir."

Giovanni was quiet for a moment, and Dr. Alexis tried her best to read his inscrutable expression. Was he furious? Did he blame her? Would he cut her funding?

"I was already told as much by the other agents who had been with her," Giovanni said finally. Dr. Alexis's tense stomach loosened marginally. "It appears that he destroyed every last trace of the chemical." Giovanni leaned back a little, tenting his fingers before him. "And your research, doctor?"

Dr. Alexis shook her head regretfully. "Despite my attempts, I was unable to replicate Dr. Laurent's solution, or draw Mewtwo's cells out from it with satisfactory precision. I have a few scans, but I cannot understand the readings."

"Send those to me the moment you find a secure channel," Giovanni ordered at once. He then refocused on her and tilted his head. "Speaking of security…how are your coworkers." His voice was indifferent; it didn't even sound like a question.

Dr. Alexis paused and drew in a deep breath, preparing to state her observations which had been well-thought out. "I believe Dr. Drew could prove to be an asset to us; I instructed him what to do with the chemical, paid him well, and he asked no questions. He never even knew they were linked to Mewtwo. Besides a few…_slipups_, I think he is easily motivated. I know he's been imprisoned, and Agent Domino was unable to get to him, but I think getting him out would be a solid investment. Dr. Richard…" she hesitated. "…I have yet to be certain of. He seems frustrated with his current status, and yet follows rules and systems of order quite strictly. Should he prove an ally, I believe he will be a valuable one."

"Don't risk it for now," Giovanni instructed. "We have enough to handle as it is."

Dr. Alexis agreed with that. Her job was to give Team Rocket access to all her information, look into any little projects they wanted checked out, and scope for other scientists who might want a little extra funding, and were fine if it meant a little extra shade. Dr. Alexis needed the funding to keep her reserve as large as it was, to preserve the natural habitat from the expanding enterprise of Ryme City. Team Rocket's work was easy and simple. But then she'd been told to look into Dr. Laurent's lab a few months ago. The clever crime gang was apparently interested in a Pokémon that had been caught there.

Having known Dr. Laurent from college, she'd managed to slip in for a visit and get her hands on a chemical called 'R.' But she had had no idea what it was at the time. After the reveal of Mewtwo weeks ago, her supervisors had connected her directly to Giovanni himself. She had been unsure what the chemical was, but Giovanni wanted it quite badly. So, while waiting for the panic of the city to die down so Team Rocket could send someone to retrieve, she'd done her research and prepared it for transport. She had told Dr. Drew about it, expecting him to help slip it out eventually, but he had also swiped a few samples and sold them at _battle arenas._She would have been furious if he hadn't also gotten some information about it there. About its true effects that the trainers had noticed. It was a bump in the road, but everything had still been going according to plan. But then that boy had shown up…

It had been a stressful few weeks, and Dr. Alexis wasn't sure how much more she could handle.

Giovanni suddenly pierced her with a sharp, intense eye that caused all other thoughts to leave her.

"Tell me, doctor…" he said with deadly silence. "Do you think that Mewtwo is still in the city?"

Dr. Alexis swallowed again. How was she supposed to respond to that? How _could_she know? She offered what little information she had. "Before Dr. Drew made the trade with Agent Domino, he called me and told me that he had been attacked while leaving the laboratory. By Mewtwo…and a boy."

"A boy?" Giovanni repeated with interest.

"Yes, a young man who came investigating our laboratory," Dr. Alexis confirmed. "The boy believed that Dr. Drew was the only one of us who had anything to do with the chemical, and once he saw Dr. Drew escape, he no longer suspected any of us."

Dr. Alexis had no idea who the boy was or where he had come from. She had listed him off as just some meddlesome twerp, but then Dr. Drew had called, less than two hours from Domino's arrival, and said _Mewtwo_had been with the kid.

"This boy was with Mewtwo?" Giovanni pressed. He seemed very intent on this fact.

Dr. Alexis nodded her head again. "Yes. Dr. Drew told me the only reason he escaped Mewtwo was because Mewtwo broke off to save the boy."

Giovanni's dark eyes sparked with malice. "I see. Very interesting." Giovanni mulled this over for a moment, Dr. Alexis remaining silent, before he spoke again. "The other agents who were present mentioned a boy as well. It may be best for us to retrieve Dr. Drew to get the full story on this." He leaned back, slowly, deliberately. "So, if Mewtwo does indeed have an attachment to this boy…would he stay in Ryme City?"

Yet again, Dr. Alexis was maneuvered into answering that question. She had hoped that by stating the facts, Giovanni would reach his own conclusion, and she wouldn't be held accountable for however true or false that conclusion might be. But it seemed the crime boss wasn't so easily misled. For whatever reason, he was making her put her neck on the line. She had a feeling that Giovanni wouldn't be satisfied with a truthful answer of 'I don't know.'

So instead, she swallowed and answered, "I believe so, sir."

**[And that's a wrap! Thank you so much for reading! I'm trying to practice stories that start with characters who don't get along at the beginning, and develops them into friends. How did I do this time? Please, comment and let me know your favorite parts.**

**I know I set up this story to have a sequel…but I'm afraid that it might not happen. I wrote an outline for this fic at the start, but at the beginning of chapter eighteen, I _just couldn't write._For _months. _The trainers coming to the rescue wasn't part of the original outline, but that idea was just what I needed to keep going. I'm so glad for my policy of not publishing until I'm completely finished, otherwise the stress probably would have stopped the story permanently. Anyway, with how much this one fought me at the end, I am skeptical if I could do a sequel or not. If I did, it would be a _while. _But I do have imaginings of Mewtwo adapting to life in the city, Ryme City adapting to him, the triumphant return of the terrifying Ms. Norman, and the looming threat of Giovanni. So, there's definitely room for it.**

**Pokémon stands as one of my favorite fandoms, and Mewtwo is without a doubt my favorite character. I was stoked to find out he'd appear in Detective Pikachu, and was pleased with what they did with him. I dearly hope that they bring him back for the next one, instead of just moving on to another legendary. Poor Mewtwo has been fairly left behind in Pokémon lore—they keep hyping him up, but won't develop his character. I did my best to address that here, slowly poking at his perspectives and loathing towards humans, as well as his pride and refusal to accept help (no matter how much he may need it!).**

**Tim was also fun, though I admit his character was difficult to pin down at first. He's only in the one movie, and he's also swinging between different beliefs and attitudes. I hope my version was believable. Harry was also a blast, and his character was easy for me.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my story, it was a pleasure to write. Special thanks to Dexter, an app that tells me every little detail I need to know about every Pokémon, to Copy Cat, a website that tells you EVERYTHING you need to know about Mewtwo, and to Dippygamer64, a friend who was a great listener for my ideas. And, special thanks to you, for taking the time to read my story! Farwell!]**


End file.
